Grow A Set
by DeAngelo'sMuse
Summary: Oktober is know for her snarky attitude but she's never met her match. When her nephew drags her to a WWE signing she has no idea what she's getting into. What's Punk got to do with it and why is Laurinaitis there?
1. New Beginnings

**A/N Okay, so this idea has been rattling around in my head for a while. **

**So, I read an article online about first person vs. third and apparently I've been doing everything the hard way in first. This time, I think I'll try third. Enjoy?**

**~DeAngelo'sMuse**

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><p>Oktober sighed heavily as her nephew weaved in and out of her sight. Who knew a thirteen-year-old boy would be so hard to keep track of? Running a hand through her shaggy auburn hair, the twenty-six year old tried to keep pace with the kid only to nearly run him over when he stopped. "Kaidan, what the hell?" she snapped, stumbling as she tried to regain her balance. The boy turned to her and crossed his arms, nodding towards the line of people in front of them.<p>

"This is the line to meet CM Punk. We're going to stand in it," he stated, leaving no room for discussion. Oktober rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone. Hopefully this wouldn't take too long. How she'd let Kaidan to convince her to come to a WWE signing was beyond her. She didn't even _watch_ the show, let alone know any of the stars.

Her brother had texted her with strict directions to get a t-shirt signed by John Cena. If he wanted a t-shirt so bad, maybe _he_ should've taken his own son. But no, Oktober always found herself getting suckered into stuff like this.

"How long you think this'll take, Kay?" she asked, slipping her iPhone back into her pocket. Peering around the people in front of them, she counted the number of fans in waiting to be around ten.

"Well, most people wanna say hi, get a pic signed, then have their own pictures with him," Kaidan explained, raising an eyebrow skeptically. Sometimes Oktober just wanted to smack the kid but realized she couldn't because she'd taught him the language of sarcasm. "If you want to go get coffee I won't be able to hold our place in line, _aunt _Tober, cause I'm a kid. So you'll have to just stay here, suck up, buck up and deal?"

"Who died and made you an adult?" Tober snapped back, scowling as the line moved by one person. This couldn't be any slower! Not only were they stuck there but the entire place was buzzing with the constant chatter of fans. How the stars could stand this was a mystery in it's own right. She just had to settle for looking around at the other signing stations, focusing on how long Cena's line would be.

She had been so focused, however, that she didn't realize how fast the line _had_ moved. Soon, Kaidan was yanking her forward and she was faced to face with the Second City Savior himself. He was smiling cheerfully, grabbing a picture to be signed while obviously holding back a smirk. "Hey there kid," Punk smiled, holding out his hand to shake Kaidan's. "What's your name?"

"Kaidan Samuels, nice to meet ya," Kay replied, grinning cheekily. Sometimes Tober couldn't believe the attitude of the young blond boy. Then she remembered who the dad was and immediately wanted to faceplam. After all, her brother was the master of bullshitting and _he'd_ taught _her_ the ways of life.

"Well, Kaidan, who's your lady friend here?" Punk smirked, turning his hazel eyes on Oktober. She froze before regaining composure and keeping a straight face.

"Well, I wouldn't call her a _lady_ but that's my aunt Oktober," Kaidan replied, rolling his eyes. Oktober's jaw dropped and she nudged his shoulder with annoyance.

"'Scuse me, little man. You begging me to tell your dad?" she threatened but then she realized… "Wait, never mind, he'd just laugh and high five you." Kaidan again rolled his eyes and Punk just looked amused.

"I learned from the best, Auntie," Kaidan chimed and she huffed, irritated at his antics.

"Yeah, _me_. I taught you everything ya little comedian," she sniffed, crossing her arms over her chest. By now, Punk was chuckling to himself.

"Well, you definitely made my day just a fraction better than it was," he commented, smiling boyishly at the auburn haired woman. Oktober feigned disdain.

"Only a fraction? I make everyday better cause I'm the best," she stated, smirking right back at him. Some of the fans behind them were getting restless and she _really_ wanted to get going.

"Quite the ego there, hun," Punk reflected, standing up to get a picture with them. To the left was a camera guy that volunteered to take the picture for them. Kaidan felt better off ignoring the star and his aunt's bickering (or flirting) and decided that a picture would be perfectly fine. He stood on Punk's right, the star's hand on his shoulder. Oktober tried to escape the lens, scooting away to the right but was caught by the wrist by the Voice of the Voiceless. He pulled her back and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Here's a tip: personal space, the ladies love it," Tober whispered, lips close to the shell of Punk's ear. He chuckled and squeezed her hip with the hand touching it.

"Here's a tip: I'm a wrestler, I don't do personal space," he replied only to chuckle louder when she didn't. He turned forward and smirked, enjoying her light scowl when the camera flash went off. The other fans looked relieved that the two would soon be done with the star. Oktober got her camera back, thanking the man who took the photo, and turned back around. She nearly jumped back as Punk stood there, inches away from her own face.

"Yeah, ya see, _this_ is what I gave you the tip for," she emphasized, backing up a little. Her cheeks flushed and she wanted to kick herself for even having the passing thought that he's attractive. Whatever she'd been thinking must've shown on her face because he grinned and tongued his lip ring cheekily. "Kaidan, ready to go?" she called and the kid rolled his eyes as dramatically as possible.

"See you around, sweetheart," Punk laughed, throwing in a wink before returning to his table. Kaidan fell into step beside his aunt as she hurried towards the John Cena line. The crowd had gotten thicker while they were talking and a crowd of elementary kids were grouped in the line for the most popular star.

"Geez, think you could've turned the flirting down just a little bit back there?" Kaidan teased and Tober's mouth hit the floor. "What? It's true." They stepped into line behind the elementary schoolers and waited. If she was impatient before, it was even _worse_ now. She tapped her foot edgily as the little kids jabbered nonstop about meeting Cena. "Okay, okay, y'know what? There's a coffee cart over there if you want to go do something."

"Thought you couldn't stay in line by yourself, _kid_," she taunted and he facepalmed. "Alright, fine, you get the t-shirt and I'll wait over by the coffee stand. Don't get kidnapped," she warned before walking off. Kaidan scoffed at her words. Sometimes she acted like _she_ was the thirteen-year-old.

On her way to grab a latte, she was stopped by hand on her arm. Apparently nobody around here respects personal boundaries. She turned and frowned when she saw how old the guy was. In fact, he seemed a little creepy. "Um, can I help you?" she asked. The grey haired guy smiled dully at her making Tober shudder.

"My name is Mr. John Laurinaitis. I'm the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim General Manage of Monday Night Raw," he began and she completely tuned everything out. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Mr. CM Punk back there and I have a job proposition for you," he went on. Her ears perked at this. She never really liked the job she works now; the business firm was a little too uptight for her.

"Oh, um, okay, I'm Oktober Samuels. Go on Mr. Laurinaitis," Oktober motioned, crossing her arms and hoping for the best. He grinned sheepishly as she waited for him to continue. She thought he looked a little like a shark without teeth.

"Well, we have an open space for a new Diva on the show. If you're interested, the WWE would like to hire you," he smiled and she swallowed harshly. Tober had never really been too strong and being a female wrestler wasn't exactly high up on her list of things to do before she dies. Then again, maybe it wouldn't be too bad. She shook her to clear that thought away. It's completely out of the question.

"I'll think about it. How much would this cost me cause I've only just gotten out of college and I've got loans to pay off," she asked, only half considering actually doing anything. For all she knows, this guy might not even work for the company.

"Everything would be paid for and you would have your own hotel room wherever we travel. All you need to do is contact us-" Laurinaitis was cut off by a body stepping in front of the girl.

"Not roping another girl into going on a date with ya, are you Johnny?" Punk asked, snorting with laughter. Oktober clenched her teeth and attempted to push him outta her way. It was futile however, because she is as strong as a wet noodle and he's got biceps the size of her leg. "Oh, I'm sorry, am I in your way, hun?" he chuckled and she growled; very unladylike.

"Yeah, in my way of possibly getting a job. You're lucky you're famous," she snapped and he stepped to the side so she could talk to Laurinaitis again. Oktober sent the tattooed man a glare as she turned back the EVP.

"And why am I lucky to be famous?" Punk asked, hands on his hips. Oktober switched her glare to a sugary sweet smile that would melt the heart of any man (other than everyone's favorite Straight Edge Superstar).

"Means I can't injure you," she sang. Laurinaitis placed a hand on her shoulder to get her attention again. Punk glanced from his hand to the now irritated face of the short woman it was touching.

"I wouldn't touch her if I were you, Mr. Excitement," he warned but it was too late. Oktober turned back to the older GM and sent him a chilling look. Looks like somebody should back off. Kaidan had returned to her side and was listening in on the conversation, looking to Punk for an explanation. The star shrugged at the kid and waited for Tober to say something.

"I'm sorry, sir," she breathed, picking Laurinaitis' hand up and tossing it off of her shoulder. "I wish I could but I'm not exactly Diva material. I probably couldn't even lift Kaidan without straining my back. Thank you for offering," Oktober finished, wrapping an arm around her nephew and looking down at him. "Kay, let's get going." The kid looked up at her like she'd grown three heads and an extra limb. Why anybody would turn that opportunity down was complete nonsense to him. She began to turn away but he stood his ground and looked up at the GM.

"She'll take the job," Kaidan stated, brushing her arm off. "Not like she's got anything better to do." Punk snorted and Laurinaitis sent him a dirty look. Punk threw his hands up innocently and backed up a little. "She'll need training though." Laurinaitis didn't see this as a dilemma at all. Fans were getting restless for Punk to return so he shooed the champion away. _As if that would really work._

Laurinaitis looked at the girl who was currently threatening to strangle her nephew. Pulling out a business card, he handed it to Oktober. "Training wouldn't be a problem. She'd have a nutritionist to maintain her diet. I'm sure with enough persuasion I could get a Diva to help her out with moves." Kaidan nodded like a father would while Tober thought she might just throw herself out a window. She searched for an appropriate sized one around the room and was disappointed when none looked big enough to fit through. "Her attitude will definitely come in handy for a story line. Maybe we could partner her up with Punk," Laurinaitis chuckled.

"Hell no! I'm not doing anything with that space invading prick," she snapped, blowing a piece of hair out her face rebelliously. "Excuse me, we're leaving. I'll call if I decide to take you up on your offer for real." She stalked off as Kaidan gave Laurinaitis and Punk sympathetic looks. The Second City Savior sighed and ruffled the kid's hair. Something about the girl interested him and he was hoping she'd join the roster but it probably wasn't a good idea without any training whatsoever. "Kaidan!"

"Work some magic on your auntie, kid. Try and convince her to join," Punk encouraged. Kaidan smiled slyly at the superstar and saw right threw the front he was putting up. Of course he'd noticed Punk's interest and he absolutely could not wait to tell his dad about it. They'd be laughing for hours when he got home.

"If you like her so much, maybe you ought to call her and convince her yourself," Kaidan smirked, pulling out a pen and notepad. "Here's her number and whatever you do, don't call her Tober," he warned. The only reason he could get away with it was the fact that he's a kid. Even then, she tended to get cranky when he did. His dad had told him it had something to do with his aunt's ex-husband. Punk's eyebrows raised fairly high up his forehead as he folded the paper and put it in his pocket. "Thanks, Mr. Punk." Kaidan scurried off to join Oktober.

Punk shook his head incredulously, walking back to his table and leaving Laurinaitis to do whatever it is he was doing before. Cena had meandered over after seeing that scene pass.

"Did you seriously just get a chick's number? I thought we all agreed fans are off limits," he criticized. Punk looked up at him through half lidded hazel eyes. Cena didn't think that was a good thing and frowned. His face was almost comical; what with the way he typically grins and such.

"She wasn't a fan, Boy Scout. Johnny's thinkin' of hiring her as a Diva," Punk explained, signing another photo for a fan that was not only shocked to see more than one star at once but confused as to why it was Cena. John looked surprised that the GM would do that. "He didn't confirm it with Hunter either."

John's eyebrows shot up at this. Any talent that was possible for hire was supposed to go through Hunter first so he could report it to Stephanie and Vince. "The girl said yes?" he asked but Punk shook his head. "No?"

"Nada. She wasn't convinced. Well, that and she thinks I'm a prick," he stated, trying to contain his mirth. Cena wasn't too surprised, it's not like it wasn't true. Then again, on many an occasion that had been able to charm lesser women. John had to applaud the girl for her resistance. His wife hadn't exactly enjoyed the Dr. of Thugonomics at first either or the 'marry me Cena' signs. He shuddered; Liz had really gotten pissed about that way back in the beginning of their relationship.

He nodded and returned to his table. Maybe having a partner in crime would be good for Phil. He's been on his own for awhile since the whole Straight Edge Society deal (plus Nexus) and even then he didn't actually hang with Luke or Serena outside the show. He typically kept to himself and read a shit ton of books.

Not that he'd come out to a bar with them anyways with the whole 'no drinking thing'. He sighed and stood with a group of kids, smiling as the flash of a camera went off. If only the girl would just join them! Maybe he needed to do some convincing himself.

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><p>Oktober drove Kaidan home silently, still brooding over the job deal. Kaidan wasn't impressed by her pouting, simply focusing on a plan to get her to be a Diva. Besides, there are benefits for him in it if she did become a wrestler like popularity in school, going to see shows, and a constant hold on blackmail for her. Perhaps he'd get his mom and dad on his side. "We're home!" he called out, hoping his parents were as well. They had just walked in the door when his dad popped his head around the corner from the kitchen. "Got you a Cenation shirt."<p>

"Awesome!" his dad cheered, pulling his own t-shirt over his head and slipping on the signed one. "So, how was the signing?" he asked, looking around for his wife. Cecilia walked in from the living room and rolled her eyes at her husband. "What?" Cecilia shook her head and ruffled her son's hair as Kaidan began recounting everything. Oktober said nothing, deciding to just let the kid say what he was gonna say. It's not like he wouldn't when she left anyways. "Aw, Okty, why don't ya do it?" her brother, Jordan, whined. For being a thirty-eight year old, he sure does complain a lot.

"No! They want me to work with some guy named CM Punk and I'm sure as hell not going to. He's a jerk and I can only stand so much. Plus, what makes any of you think that the Divas would accept me? I've got no training, I've never wrestled a day in my life, and I hate playing nice," Oktober argued back. She'd never really been one to share the sandbox. She was more of a person who believed she owned the sandbox and anybody playing in it was there because she allowed them to be.

"I think you should do it. I mean, you'd get to quit that stupid firm you work at and get out of that lonely apartment," Cecilia encouraged. "Why don't you sleep on it and decide in the morning. We can discuss the situation here tomorrow if you want to come for breakfast," she invited. Seeing no way out of it, Tober nodded and turned back to the door.

The family waved goodbye as she made her way back to her car. A while back they'd asked her to move in but she felt like that would be intruding on their privacy. Kaidan needs a normal life and having his aunt live at his house was not part of it. Returning to her apartment, she unlocked the door and entered her living room. The card that Laurinaitis had given her was burning a hole through her pocket, only further making her decision hard.

Sitting at her kitchen table, she pulled out a notebook from under a pile of mail and a pen. She wrote out a pro/con list, something that typically helped her make big decisions. Her apartment was quiet. It wasn't the same without her ex-husband, Alex. But it's his fault he had to leave, not hers. She shook her head, trying to get his face to leave her mind. Ever since she'd seen him with another woman at the store he'd been stuck in her head every time she looked at the walls of her home. That's what led her to the decision she made.

She's going to be a new Diva and hope for the best. Goodbye Philly, hello WWE.

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><p><strong>AN Yay! Finally a story about Punk :) Hope everyone enjoyed this little preview of the drama to come.**

**Sorry for any grammar mistakes, I'm posting this during a class...**

**Reviews :D**


	2. Partners

**A/N Thanks for all the reviews! Oh gosh, Punk is so adorable sometimes =]**

**Enjoy Chapter 2~ DeAngelo'sMuse**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize.**

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><p>Oktober walked into her brother's kitchen and plopped down in a chair at the table. All eyes in the family were on her as she bit her lip. "Well?" Kaidan asked and she looked up at him, her green eyes flashing fiercely.<p>

"I'm gonna do it," she stated, placing her hands on the table. "I'm going to be a WWE Diva." Jordan nodded, sitting across from her. Her nephew just smirked and crossed his arms, standing behind his aunt's chair. "Wipe that grin off your face before I do it for you," Tober sneered and Kaidan's face immediately dropped.

Jordan's wife had placed plates of pancakes on the table in front of each person, settling down in her own chair. "What made you change your mind?" she asked, dousing her breakfast in syrup. The family has always been rather laid back and when one makes a decision, the others typically leave well enough alone.

Cecilia was curious though. Over the past two years after Oktober and Alex's divorce she'd been trying to get the younger girl back on her feet but this was rather out of the blue. She'd expected her to just say no, get on with work, and keep to herself.

"You were right, the apartment felt lonely and isolated. I need to do something productive with my life and obviously what I'm doing now isn't it," Oktober replied sagely. This is a new leaf for her and she's going to work hard to turn it over in the best way possible. "All that's left now is to call Mr. Laurinaitis and get that job." She picked up her cell phone while the rest of the family held their breath in anticipation. Well, except Jordan because he lives for food and didn't mind stuffing his face with pancakes while listening in.

"John Laurinaitis, Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim General Manager of Monday Night Raw, how may I help you?" that dull and dreary voice said over the line. Tober was suddenly nervous, something that didn't happen to her often. Letting the warm sun coming threw the window refresh her confidence, she began to speak.

"Yes, this is Oktober Samuels. I met you at the WWE signing yesterday and I was calling about that job offer," she began, using as polite a tone as possible. There was a slight pause as Laurinaitis searched his memory, quickly remembering who it was.

"Of course, I'm glad you called. I can set up an interview with myself and the COO at one 'o' clock this afternoon before we leave if you would like. I'm sure you'll like him very much," he invited and Oktober sighed internally with relief. She'd never _not_ nailed an interview before so she wasn't worried.

"Oh, that would be wonderful. Thank you so much Mr. Laurinaitis," she chirped. He said to call him John and she immediately thanked him again. "So I'll see you at the arena at one? Great, see you then, John." Hanging up, she beamed at the family.

"Congrats, Auntie," Kaidan said, patting her on the shoulder. "Let me know what you think of Triple H." She looked at him funny, confusion spreading across her face.

"Who now?" she asked and Kaidan facepalmed. He seemed to be doing that often now a days. "Wait, is that the COO?" Kaidan looked at her through his fingers with a 'no shit, Sherlock' expression. Oktober rolled her eyes and left to go change into an outfit. She'd brought a bag of clothes with her so Cecilia could help her out. Once she was ready, she drove off to meet up with what she hoped were her future bosses.

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><p>The interview went perfectly and they expected her to pack her bags and begin travel with them immediately. Most of her was excited but there was still a fraction of her mind that said this could be throwing herself into a bowl of drama. Besides that, she'd instantly taken a liking to the King of Kings and respected him very much. Since she'd returned to her brother's house to reveal the news, Kaidan had been crash coursing her in everything to know about the company. They were now at her apartment, her nephew quizzing her on all sorts of information.<p>

"Who won the 2011 Royal Rumble?" he shot out as she folded a couple t-shirts. She wasn't quite sure how much she was supposed to bring so she figured one big suitcase, a smaller one, and a carry one were enough.

"Um, Alberto Del Rio?" she guessed, fairly certain she was correct. Kaidan nodded, shooting another question at her about whom the WWE Championship match at Wrestlemania XXVII had been between. "Randy Orton and oh…what's his face?" she racked her brain trying to remember. "Blondish, fohawk…uh, the Miz!" she added. Kaidan nodded yet again.

The kid had been sitting cross-legged on her bed for about an hour now, quizzing over and over. "I think you're ready." After giving her nephew a thank you dripping with sarcasm, she zipped up her bags. Everything was packed and ready to go.

"Alrighty! Let's get this show on the road. I've gotta get you back to your house and then your dad's gonna drive me to the airport. They've already moved on to the next city and have somebody waiting for me," Tober explained absently, grabbing her stuff and letting Kaidan grab the small carry on.

Kaidan high tailed it into the house when they got there, throwing on a better shirt and his Punk t-shirt. Thinking about the Voice of the Voiceless made him wonder if he'd ever called; probably not if they had left after the signing yesterday. As he flew back down the stairs, he was just in time to catch his dad and aunt walking out the door to the car. He grabbed his shoes, not even bothering to put them on as he sprinted out. His mom was left behind, shaking her head at her son and husband.

The drive was short since they live fairly close to the airport in Philadelphia. "Which city do you go to first?" Jordan asked, walking in with his sister and son in tow. Oktober pulled out the sheet she'd been given from a folder she'd stored in her carry-on.

"Uh, let's see… Charlottesville, North Carolina. Hm, sounds nice. Never been that far south before," Tober replied, folding the paper back into the folder. She'd already memorized the flight number and all that was left was bag checking.

There was a tap on her shoulder and she turned, nearly running over Jordan. John Cena (_the_ John Cena) was standing there with a jacket on and hood pulled up. All three pairs of the family's eyes settled on him and he shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, John Ce-" Kaidan began but the superstar cut him off with a finger to his lips and an urgent hush.

"I'm not John Cena right now, just call me Jason," he insisted, his eyes shifting back and forth suspiciously. If he said he liked to dress like a clown and hang out with ex-cons he would've gotten the same reaction. The family stared at him like he'd grown three heads.

"Right, _Jason_, are you here to escort me to the next location for the show?" Oktober asked, glancing around to see if anybody noticed the large man standing in front of her. When no fans were around to 'pee in their pajamas' (as CM Punk would put it) she relaxed and stopped worrying about a hoard of fans attacking.

"Yeah, I got us both tickets booked for the next flight. I'm sure you have questions too," he replied, grinning with those adorable little dimples of his. The flight was called seconds later and Tober caught her family up in a whirlwind of hugs. Kaidan looked smothered…

"Kay, I promise to Skype you at least once a week," she said, ruffling her nephew's hair. Kaidan only smirked back at her and sent Cena a look that said he was most definitely a little player at school.

"Fine, but when you and Punk decide to get hitched I call ring bearer," he grinned. Oktober's face paled and John could've sworn she might've had an aneurism. _Jason_ and Jordan broke out into loud guffaws at her expense. Some passersby lingered to find out what happened but the scowl sent by the future Diva scared them off.

Cena couldn't help but admire the audacity of the thirteen-year-old. John had been planning on asking about the Phil situation subtly but not quite so outright. _But_, the kid had done what he hadn't accomplished yet so there, he _applauded_ him. He was very surprised when the girl said nothing of protest to the comment. Leaving the two natives, Oktober followed him onto the plane absently. "So," _Jason_ began. Tober exhaled heavily, running a hand through her long ginger locks. She'd been meaning to get it cut; having it at waist length wasn't really working for her.

"Oh, um, right, questions… Can I work alone or do I have to be a tag team?" she asked, looking into the gentle face of the older star. He nodded, explaining everything that the Divas had reign over and how there were mixed tag team matches (not often, but they happened). He showed her on his iPad each of the current Divas as well as many of the stars, naming who was heel and face.

Cena figured he better get his questions about the Chicago native out before the plane lands and she'd be able to escape. Problem is, he doesn't want her to count Phil out so quickly. Especially when the two are oh so alike. He'd never been one for procrastination and he was very familiar with the consequences. "What exactly is going on between you and our favorite punk?" Oktober sputtered, trying in vain to regain her composure.

"Why does everybody assume something is going on? I've talked to him five minutes and suddenly it's assumed that we have romantic get aways and sexual innuendos are tossed around like a football at the Superbowl! There will never be anything between us!" she exploded, throwing her hands up in the air with complete exasperation. He suppressed a snicker as she ranted but soon sobered up fast. If she already believes there's nothing to be found then he's got more work to do than he thought he would.

For the duration of the flight they talked about anything else that she'd need to know. There wasn't that much either to John's surprise, as she already knew a bunch of answers thanks to her nephew. In his mind, John came up with what he thought would be a good group of people to mentor her. All he needs to do is ask them and surely they'd agree.

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><p>Punk paced around his personal locker room, stretching out his muscles as he thought about the match set for him later in the evening. Sure, he wasn't too concerned with match against Daniel Bryan. The guy's specialty is escaping tricky situation where as Punk himself tends to confront those circumstances.<p>

The crowds were already starting to pile into the arena and the chatter was overwhelmingly loud, even backstage. Grabbing a bottle of water, Punk downed it in a couple gulps. "Stay thirsty, my friend," a voice chuckled from the doorway. Punk whipped his head over to see Triple H leaning against the frame.

"What can I do for ya, boss man?" Punk asked, straightening up and stopping that unnerving pacing. Hunter grinned and tossed a thick folder at him. Punk opened it, reading the contents before grinning himself. "I get the newbie? I thought she didn't want the job cause she hates me."

"Well, you're stuck with her whether she hates you or not. She'll be trained by Kelly Kelly," Hunter explained, crossing his arms and looking over his shoulder. Punk whooped and punched the air with excitement leading Hunter to frown. "You can mentor her however you like but so help me Brooks, if I hear any complaints about you _or_ her I will fire you both."

"You can't fire me," Punk chuckled. "I'm what the WWE Universe wants." Hunter shook his head and turned away. Sometimes he felt so frustrated with the cocky 'holier than thou' attitude Phil's got going on but then he remembers how he was back in his younger years. Unfortunately, he's got no room to talk.

"Whatever, she'll be here with Cena in about in twenty minutes so get ready to meet your trainee," Hunter remarked, walking off. Punk shook his wrists out, tossing the file on a chair; a few moments later and there another knock at the door. As he walked over, it was flung open and narrowly missed hitting him. Oktober stormed in, not even noticing the champ as she argued with Cena.

"Welcome to CM Punk's locker room, would you like a tour?" Punk babbled sarcastically. Both Tober and John turned to him with surprise. "What? Shocked to see me?" He smirked, biting on his lip ring. Oktober's face scrunched up in distaste as she backed up and walked towards the door. "Aw, leaving so soon, hun?"

"I was under the impression I was being led to a private dressing room. Didn't know that meant I'd be rooming with Mr. High and Mighty," she snapped, walking out. John sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"What's got her panties in a twist, John-boy?" Punk questioned. "She doesn't even know where she's going." It suddenly occurred to him that perhaps he should retrieve her before she does something stupid.

Oktober was making her way down the halls backstage in her civilian clothes, trying her absolute hardest to figure out where in the hell she'd made a wrong turn. Part of her wanted to turn and run back to John, cling to him until she got the hang of everything. There were doors on every wall that all looked ridiculously alike and refused to give up any info on where she was. "Oh, c'mon, I'm lost on my first day?" she huffed to herself.

She rounded a corner and fell to the ground rather ungraciously. "What the hell?" she cursed, shaking her head to regain her focus. A hand reached down to help her up, gently raising her by the arms.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Kofi Kingston said, smiling softly. Oktober felt herself blush as she took in his appearance. He was really quite attractive in her opinion. "Didn't mean to knock you over there."

"Not a problem," She replied, grabbing his hand and hauled her butt up. "Um, Oktober Samuels, brand new Diva," she said, introducing herself. Kofi kept that cheerful smile on his face, introducing himself in the process of walking her towards catering.

"So, you're the new Diva assigned to work with Punk?" he asked and watched as Tober's face darkened. "Oh, not a good subject. Alright, do you know anybody else around here?"

"My list of people I've met comes to a whopping total of you, Punk, John Cena, Laurinaitis, and Triple H," she replied, fighting off the blush on her cheeks. Kofi nodded, stopping at the food tables and grabbing both of them a plate. She picked out some fruit, hoping that she'd be allowed to keep Twix bars in her diet (they are her favorite after all).

Another young man, brown hair and brown eyes approached them with an enthusiastically bright grin. "Kofi! Whoa, who's the newbie?" he asked, turning to Oktober. Something about him made her just want to pinch his cheeks in that way you do to adorable kids. He introduced himself as Evan Bourne, the second part to his and Kofi's tag team 'Air Boom'. "So, Oktober, when do you start your training?" he asked, looking between her and his partner.

"Probably tomorrow. I don't know exactly what I'm doing to be honest," she laughed, running a hand through her hair nervously. Evan, Kofi, and her chatted for a while, the show starting without them as they hung out in the catering room.

Eventually they had to leave, Evan scurrying off to a meeting since he happened to still be on suspension and Kofi to go out for his match; this left Tober to wander around by herself, running into yet another person and sprawling on the floor unceremoniously. She couldn't help but think she'd have a concussion before she ever gets on the show.

This person, however, wasn't quite as nice as she thought. "Watch where you're going," the man snapped. He seemed like a standoffish prick just looking at him and he had some short guy following him around.

"Geez, sorry, didn't mean to walk in your path, your majesty," Oktober replied, lifting herself off the ground. "Silly me for thinking the guys around here would be nice and polite." She dusted off her jeans and stared the guy and his little lackey down. The man wasn't moving, instead towering over her menacingly. "Are you trying to intimidate me?" she laughed and he snarled back at her. "Do all of you act like cavemen around here?"

"Cavemen? Sweetheart, I am no caveman. I'm a Mexican aristocrat and a little girl like you should be bowing down in my presence. You're lucky I'm talking to you," he growled. Now that she really listened, she could definitely hear that slight Spanish accent on his words. The little guy following him around started spouting things in Spanish that she guessed weren't exactly compliments.

"Wow…and I thought Punk's 'holier than thou' attitude was bad. Looks like he's got nothing on you, sir Royal Pain in My Ass," she chuckled, raising an eyebrow. Alberto Del Rio, his lackey having said his name a couple times, looked like he wanted to strangle her. His hand twitched and he raised it to grab the towel around his neck instead. The assistant, (Ricardo? Tober thought that's what Del Rio had called him), stepped forward and pushed her back. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, who said you could put your hands on me?" she barked.

"He'll do what I tell him. It's my destiny to be champion and if that means getting you out of my way for my return to the show then I'll gladly let Ricardo push you around," he stated, tugging Ricardo back by the collar of his 'monkey suit'. Tober was ready to go at it. This guy made her want to rip off his face or light his stupid towel on fire since he seems to love touching it so much.

Somebody else grabbed her arm roughly. "Hey there, Berto," Punk smiled, pushing Oktober behind him. "Where ya been? Off being rich, right?" Del Rio smirked, taking in the expression of the girl standing behind him. "No comment? Alright then, I'd appreciate it if you don't mess with Oktober here," he said as politely as possible; that kind of polite where you want to wipe the smile off the person talking.

"You're just like him," Alberto laughed, looking back and forth between her and the champ. "I'm sure I'll come to hate you as much as I hate Punk," he said, walking away in a different direction. Frowning, Punk turned back to Tober only to get a fist in the face. Massaging the sting away from his cheek, he looked at her with mild amusement.

"I can take care of myself," she insisted, trying to push past him. He snatched her arm back again and she jerked back. "Let me go!"

"Look, what's your deal, hun? I've done nothing to you whatsoever and I'm already in the doghouse," he ranted. Oktober turned on him, fury in her eyes. Punk was enthralled with her reactions, wondering exactly what made her go off into such a fit of rage.

"I'll work with you, but don't expect me to be a girl who's going to fawn over your every word. I fly solo and I don't need some self-righteous jerk telling me what to do," she said, voice going flat into a monotone at the end. Brushing his hand off her arm, she turned on her heel and made herself scarce.

Shaking his head, Punk snickered and made his way to Gorilla Position to get ready for his match. How a girl could manage to mystify him upon meeting, join the roster, and pick a fight with the first person to come across her path was something he just couldn't comprehend.

"Oh, this is going to be oodles of fun, isn't it?" he laughed to himself, startling those around him. Oh, he had no idea how right he was.

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><p><strong>So? What does everybody think? Review and tell me! :D<strong>

**~DeAngelo'sMuse**


	3. Good Cheer

Grow A Set Chap 3

**A/N Wow, lotta reviews last chapter :) Anyways, I hope this chapter is good for you guys. **

**Enjoy ~DeAngelo'sMuse**

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><p>Punk stood in the ring, thoroughly unimpressed with Jericho's antics. He'd practically accused everyone known to man that they'd ripped him off. If Chris were actually paying attention, he'd see that he'd proven his enemy's point. "Who're you trying to impress? Are you trying to prove you're best in the world to <em>me<em>? Or to _them_?" He pointed towards the crowd. "Or are you trying to prove it to yourself?"

Jericho looked like somebody had kicked his dog, the frown crossing his worn face comical. Daniel Bryan interrupted their argument, leading Jericho into leaving to return backstage dejected and angry. The match taking process did nothing to improve Punk's mood either, especially when 'big Johnny' Laurenaitus interfered and started a riot in the ring.

Backstage, Oktober was pacing unhappily with nobody to keep her company. She'd narrowly dodged Del Rio, hoping to stay far away after their little confrontation earlier. Kofi had tried to keep her calm earlier after Punk had first gone out but eventually left yet again to get ready for real.

She wasn't unhappy because of Punk's match getting ruined; she could care less about what happens to him. Her reason for being unnerved was the impending anxiety that was her meeting with Creative in ten minutes. As she walked down the hall, none other than Mister Y2J himself pushed her roughly against the wall. Temper flaring instantly, she recovered and yanked him back. "Don't I get an apology?"

Jericho stared at her incredulously. "And what makes you think you deserve one? You're probably just another wanna be," he snarled, shaking her off easily and striding away. It wasn't that easy though, Oktober had never really learned to back away from a challenge. She stood in his way defiantly.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about. I don't even know who you _are_. All I know is that I deserve respect and that means an apology," she stated, hands on her hips. The blond man eyed her with mild curiosity building behind those blue eyes. He knew Punk had gotten a new trainee but he didn't think she'd be this…well, a carbon copy of the straight edge star as a female. "Well?"

"Don't hold your breath, girl," he snorted, walking off for good. Oktober fumed, crossing her arms. The Creative team was in a room just down the hall and she didn't want to keep them waiting. She assumed it wasn't so much going to be about a storyline as it was about meeting her for the first time. Oh joy.

When she stepped in the door, she was bombarded with a hug. The blonde woman hugging her was giggling airily, carefree in sound and manner. "Hey, you must be Oktober. I'm _so _happy to meet you! I'm Remy," the woman offered excitedly. Tober figured the girl couldn't be older than what…twenty?

"Right, nice to meet you too," she replied, shaking Remy's hand. "Um, where's the rest of the team?" Remy giggled and pointed across the room to the monitors. All the other staff members were watching an unexpected attack on Punk by Y2J.

"Well, they're all kinda distracted so introductions might be delayed but you're welcome to hang out here whenever you like. We always like input from the stars on storyline direction, kay?" Remy smiled. Something about her seemed sincere, even in her childish demeanor.

Maybe she's somebody Tober could come to be friends with. Or so the new Diva thought. It would take time for her to trust anybody; even Kofi, who'd been exceptionally sweet to her upon meeting.

In the background, Jericho could be heard telling Punk something. Only when Oktober saw the livid look on her soon to be partner's face did she realize her run in with Y2J was probably mentioned. The commercial break came on and the monitors switched to camera mode so all the drama in the arena could be seen.

"I'm going to say that Punk's mad. Maybe it's best if you go calm him down," Remy suggested, pushing Tober out the door hastily and into the hall. The door was slammed shut and she was left to her thoughts.

"Are you trying to work your way down my list of enemies?" the curt voice of Phil Brooks snapped. "Miz is next if you're wondering." He was leaning against the wall a few feet away, his title on the ground at his feet. Sighing, she walked over and picked it up, surprised by how heavy it actually was.

"I've never watched the show before. Before two days ago, I could've passed you on the street and been on my way happily. Can you blame me for getting upset? He pushed me around; I've got a short temper. I'm not going to treat disrespect like a walk in the park, I'm going to defend myself," she explained, wrapping the belt around her waist just to see what it felt like.

The tight frown on the champ's face faltered, replaced with a devilish smirk. Though he was still in quite a deal of pain, he reached a hand forward and patted her cheek. "...Okay. I like that attitude. You're training with Kelly Kelly and I tomorrow at eight." Oktober stared at him, not sure what to say. So instead, she just walked off with his title belt around her waist, swaying her hips back and forth.

"I want that back," he called, unable to keep up due to his currently hindered arm and back. Sometimes, he just felt _old_. Tober turned back only for a moment, flicking her hair over her shoulder. Hands on her hips, she smirked at him.

"Come and get it," she challenged.

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><p>Kofi Kingston could count the ways he was having a bad day. There were bright moments, meeting Oktober being one of them. Then there was the problem he was facing at the moment. Evan was again being reviewed about his suspension. Air Boom had been broken up so quickly; he doubted anybody had questioned it.<p>

The attention being gained between CM Punk vs. Jericho, Cena vs. Rock vs. Kane, and the Eve ordeal had made the split in the tag team less noticeable. Walking out there without his partner by his side was something Kofi didn't enjoy, however. Evan was a part of their team and taking him away was like taking a wheel off a bike.

"Kofi, look, I'll be back in a few weeks," Evan assured, slouching on he sofa he currently occupied. The Jamaican shook his head, not sure how to word his thoughts into anything but an accusation.

"How do I know you'll stop with the smoking, huh? This is your second suspension and after the third, you'll be done. Sin Cara's just been suspended and I don't think they'll have objections about sending you on another 'wellness vacation'," he said, rubbing his temples. A small throb in his forehead had turned from a mild irritation to a full-blown migraine.

"Don't worry, I'll stop using. I don't have anywhere else to work and I'm done disappointing you," Evan replied, resting his head in his arms. Kofi shook his head at the brunette, walking out of the room they'd been talking in. He stepped out just in time for Oktober to run into him, almost a déjà vu moment from earlier.

The difference in their meeting this time was the gold currently donned by the young woman. Punk rounded the corner, laughing freely at Tober's antics. Kofi raised a brow at both of them suspiciously. It had been a really long time since he'd seen Brooks do any sort of laughing that wasn't sarcastic. Actually... it'd been a long time since Punk had been _anything_ other than cold and snappy.

"Oh, Kofi, hey," Tober greeted, chuckling as the belt was snatched back by the champ. "Sorry for bumping into _you _this time." He smiled at her, ruffling her hair playfully.

"Not a problem," he said, grinning brightly. He noticed the hard look on the other superstar's face, choosing to think about it later and say farewell to the new Diva. "Stay out of trouble before I have to come rescue you."

"Trust me, I already do enough of that," Punk replied for her, scowling. Kofi sighed and nodded. Oktober looked between the two men, confused by their stony expressions. Finally, she shook her head and walked off; if they're going to have their little testosterone battle in the middle of the hallway then there's no sense in her staying.

"When you want your title back, I'll be over here," Tober yelled, disappearing down the hall and around a corner. Punk stood there glaring up at Kofi, the older man being somewhat shorter. The younger of the two wasn't necessarily trying to intimidate Punk. In fact, he already knew to back off of Oktober the minute the champ had come back from the signing with a grin and droopy eyes. That of course, doesn't mean he will.

Kofi walked away, leaving a smug Phil Brooks to look around for the missing trainee of his. Hands on his hips, he stretched out his back and muscles. Nothing had ever felt better for him, other than sleep. Being an insomniac sure made it hard to appreciate most things in life. Well, besides being right and victorious. Those never really got old for him.

Rounding a corner, he looked down the hall all over the place for the one girl he was actually searching for. Sure, all the other Divas were parading around in their 'not so modest' outfits but none had that tell tale gold belt around their waist. Rubbing his face in clear annoyance, he turned around and walked the other direction. Maybe she'd be somewhere _not_ getting into trouble and be easy to find. _But of course_, Punk thought to himself, _nothing is easy around here except maybe Kaitlyn._

Thankfully, the show was over fairly quick after that. The Rock came on and had it out with John 'boy scout' Cena and the rest was a blur. Eventually, Oktober ran into the Voice of the Voiceless once more and sadly handed the belt back to the smirking champ. She grabbed Kelly, whom she'd met on accident earlier, and they returned to the hotel where they were to share a room.

"Do you have any gear for practice tomorrow?" Oktober looked over at the blonde Diva skeptically. "Right, first day, got it." Kelly dug in her bags for a moment until she found something that could fit. It was fairly modest, something Eve would probably where. Tober tried it on, admiring the fit in the mirror of the bathroom. All the right curves were showing and she already had some plans to put them in use. "So, all good?" Kelly asked, popping her head around the corner.

"Oh, yeah, this'll work," the newer Diva chuckled. It was black shorts that linked up the front in straps to the cropped top. Even thought the top was also solid black, there were flecks of gold spattered all over it in the most appealing ways. "This will absolutely work."

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><p><strong>AN Short chapter… oops. Anyways, hope everyone liked it and thank you to all the reviewers! I'm writing it at school in between being grounded and sports so it's hard to get everything typed up. ~DeAngelo'sMuse**


	4. Strange Things Happen Here

GAS Chap 4

**Thank you to all the reviewers and readers :) **

**Shout outs to:**

**QueenOfCombat: I _really _loved and appreciated your review. I get where you're coming from and I hope you continue to read the story!  
><strong>

**CenationGirl22: You caught on really quick to the Alex thing :)**

**StephNexus: I've been meaning to thank you for your reviews! Also, about the K2 training her thing…well, I think you'll appreciate the twist next chapter ;)**

**Enjoy~ DeAngelo'sMuse**

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><p>"Try it again!" Oktober heaved for breath and hauled herself up off the mat. She'd been training with Natalya for two hours now. Kelly had mysteriously not shown up and the only other Diva able to help was the Canadian native. Nattie wasn't the one calling the shots though. "C'mon, is that all you've got? How're you going to keep up with me?" Tober glared at the tattooed man sitting in a chair outside the ring, seething as he commanded her to do every move over and over.<p>

"If you don't shut the hell up, I'm going to get out of this ring and knock you're damn lights out," she threatened, leaning over the ropes to shake a fist at him. Natalya, for her part, was resting in the corner across from Tober. She didn't particularly want to train the younger girl. Sure, Oktober's nice, but she's got more attitude than she knows what to do with.

"I'd like to see you try, Twinkle Toes," Punk guffawed, nearly falling over with laughter. Tober became outraged and poor Natalya just had a plain ol' headache.

"Alright, I think we're done for today. How…how about we just practice tomorrow," Nattie sighed, rubbing her forehead. The new Diva looked over apologetically.

"Thanks for your time. I get a little frustrated with him," she apologized. Natalya nodded. Being frustrated with Punk was a common occurrence; especially this past month before Tober's arrival.

"We all do. Don't worry about it," Natalya replied, glancing at the Second City Savior as he tried to contain his laughter. He seemed so…different, maybe? Something about him just seemed healthier or happier. "Y'know, he's different around you."

"Yeah, more annoying," the twenty-six year old laughed, grinning brightly. The blonde Diva shook her head; one day the younger would get what she's saying.

With training over, Oktober left Punk (whom was still chuckling to himself) to find where her missing roommate had disappeared to. Something had to have been important for her to ditch right? Sure, it's only been a day since Tober arrived but she didn't think she'd made _that_ bad an impression.

People were here and there, milling about the hotel. They'd been training in the hotel's gym to avoid messing anything at the arena up so many of the wrestlers were hanging around. It would be awhile before Oktober would be on the show, week, months, but she enjoyed being able to watch the whole thing from behind the monitors.

She looked around curiously, not seeing her roommate anywhere. Figuring she had some time to waste, she wandered around to try and meet new people. There were a few she knew standing near the TV, watching the weather forecast. It never really occurred to her that the stars do anything other than train or perform. "I guess even famous wrestlers need a break," Tober mumbled to herself, shrugging.

Giving up her search completely, she returned to her hotel room with a distinct feeling of boredom. As she was turning the corner to get to her room, she saw Evan leaning against the wall awkwardly. Of course, warning bells went off in her head so she just _had_ to check on him.

"Hey, Evan, uh…what are ya up to?" He looked up at her with deep bloodshot red eyes. His posture was off and he had this tearful expression going on. "...Evan?"

"Don't tell Kofi," he pleaded, nearly collapsing against the wall even further. Oktober looked around and made sure nobody was in sight before she put an arm around the young man and helped him up. Quickly opening the door to her room, she half carried Evan until he plopped down on the sofa.

Oktober sighed and settled down on her bed. Right about now she would love to be taking a shower. Instead, she's going to get to the bottom of the issue at hand. Turning to the brunette, she watched as he trembled, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. "Ev, I know we don't know each other that well but can I ask what's going on?"

Evan looked up, his brain strung out on the highest level. Somewhere between paranoia and regret, he let his tears fall. "I-I promised Kofi. I p-promised," he wept and Oktober felt quite uncomfortable. However, the womanly instincts in her came out and she quickly moved across the room to hug him comfortingly.

"What did you promise him?" she cooed, rubbing his back. There was no doubt in her mind that he was high. From the look on his face, to the exaggerated responses, to the smell of his clothes; she could tell.

"I promised that I'd stop using. That I wouldn't get myself suspended again. He's going to be pissed. So p-pissed," he stuttered and Tober felt bad for him. Not bad enough that she thought he wasn't at fault, but bad enough to help talk to Kofi about it.

"Look, why don't you let me talk to Kofi. I'm sure he'll understand but Evan…why are you using this stuff anyways?" Evan 'Air' Bourne stared deep into the ginger haired woman's eyes and, even through the haze in his mind, managed a deep reply.

"Without the WWE I am no one." He closed his eyes and promptly passed out on the sofa, not even giving Tober time to respond. She was rather torn at the moment over what to do.

On one hand she could run to Kingston and tell him everything, reason with him. On the other hand, she could wait and ease it into a conversation. Neither sounded easy and she dreaded being the messenger. There's always the possibility that a higher up could hear her talking and send Evan on an all expenses paid 'wellness vacation'.

"Y'know, you're actually really nice when your walls are down," Evan mumbled. Tober hadn't realized he was still conscious and stared at him incredulously. Shaking that off as the drugs speaking, she stood up and slipped on some clothes over her uniform. She didn't feel entirely comfortable taking a shower with Evan in the room, even if he was out cold.

Checking her watch, she decided a cup of coffee was appropriate no matter the time (which so happened to be two in the afternoon). There was no reason to stay indoors on such a nice day so she grabbed her cell and walked down the streets of Charlottesville. Now, she may never have been there before, but there wasn't much to look at anyways as she searched for some good coffee.

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><p>Punk lay on his bed in the hotel, not sure what exactly to do with himself. He could go and bug his trainee but he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about her yet. She was snarky, didn't listen or do what she was told. Almost exactly like Punk himself. That irked him and interested him at the same time.<p>

Sleep didn't usually come to Punk easily and this wasn't an exception. There was nothing to do and most other human beings have the capability to sleep when bored. Instead, he lay awake with his tired mind running in circles. Questions were repeating themselves over and over. What's Jericho planning? What should he do about Oktober? What's Kofi got to do with her? Wrestlemania is coming up but is he prepared?

"Enough of this!" he huffed, hopping up and throwing open the door to his room. He stomped down the hall with a scowl on his face, deciding what to do.

"What's wrong, Punk? Not getting any from your new trainee?" Miz chuckled as he passed by. Punk reached his arm out and pushed the Miz roughly against the wall, not even sparing a glance.

"I get more than you ever will, oh Awesome One," Punk scoffed as he continued on his way, leaving Miz to grumble about not being able to take a joke.

Finding nothing better to do than go out, he walked around town. A few fans here and there asked for autographs that he happily obliged to sign. The weather was beautiful and sometimes he felt he didn't stop to smell the roses enough.

As he passed by a café, he noticed Oktober standing in line cheerfully chatting with the barista. He stopped for a second; dropping the scowl he usually wore for a softer expression.

Oktober was brushing her hair behind her ear, smiling toothily at the young man behind the counter. Somehow, Punk felt he was intruding on her life. Who is he to tell her who to talk to? But, he is who he is and he gets _jealous…_ so he walked in.

Tober glanced over and dreaded the approach of her 'mentor'. Punk smirked devilishly at her as she thanked the barista and took her coffee elsewhere. Punk simply bought himself a bottle of water and joined her at a table. "Is there a reason you feel you need to bother me?" she commented over sipping her drink. He shrugged, grinning.

"No, no particular reason," he said, drumming his fingers on the table. A little nerve twitched in Oktober's jaw as she watched him watch _her_. After a few minutes of silence she couldn't take it anymore.

"Look, what do you want from me?" she snapped, placing her cup of coffee down rather hard on the table. Punk dropped the smirk and leaned forward slightly.

"Just a civil conversation. Can't a guy talk to a girl without wanting something?" he asked, sipping his water. Tober eyed him suspiciously as she debated whether to trust his words. "Fine. I'll break the ice. What were you doing at that signing?"

"Kaidan dragged me there cause my brother wouldn't take him," she chuckled, remembering the night that Kaidan had bribed her with tickets to her favorite band's concert. She'd finally agreed when he said he'd get her two tickets. "I can't believe he convinced me to go."

"Well, here you are. You think you'll be good at being a Diva?" Punk asked, crossing his legs comfortably in his chair. He listened to her talk about her expectations, her family, all about her goals. He observed that she had this peculiar little way of rubbing her ear when she was shy about something and when she's feeling mischievous, she quirks her lips to the side just a smidge.

"So, what about you?" Oktober asked, bringing Punk out of his thoughts. "What makes you so…well, you?" He thought for a second. Nobody really asked him that kind of question. Fans typically went with the generic: what made you straightedge? Do you like being famous? Was Chicago your big inspiration? Who was your wrestling role model? This time he really had to think.

"Ah, well, I don't know how to answer that. I mean, I guess it depends how much you've seen of me on the show," he replied, scratching at his beard and tonguing his lip ring in thought. Oktober looked down at the now room temperature coffee.

"I've never really seen the show before. I only know what my nephew has told me about. Like I said yesterday, if I passed you on the street I would never know who you are. My ex-husband used to watch it all the time," she explained, twirling the remnants of the cream in her cup around with a spoon.

"You were married?" Punk asked, eyebrows knitting together. Now this was getting interesting. Oktober shrugged awkwardly and continued to play with her cup. "What was your husband's name?

"Alex," she replied, setting the spoon down and leaning back in her chair. Punk waited for her to go on but she didn't mention a last name. He leaned forward again so that he was almost nose-to-nose with the girl.

"I mean, what was his full name? Before you were divorced, what was your last name?" he asked, focusing his hazel eyes on hers. She fiddled with her hands until she couldn't keep her mouth shut anymore.

"Oktober Riley. My husband was named Alex Riley. He left me and I never saw him again. I have no idea where he is or what he does now," she admitted and he blanched. "I thought it was my fault until he sent me a letter explaining that there was somebody else. After that, I stopped caring. I hope I never see him again." Oktober's cell rang and she fumbled for it in her pocket. Motioned to Punk to give her a second, she answered the call. "Kelly? Where the hell have you been? Wait, what? Shit. I'll be there in a few."

She jumped up and motioned for Punk to come with. "What's going on?" he questioned, jogging with her back to the hotel. She glanced at him sideways with a frown.

"I left a toked out Evan Bourne in my hotel room and I think he just woke up."

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><p><strong>AN I know I already thanked all the reviewers and such but I want to do it again. SO thank you everybody! Anywho, everybody like the chapter? I wrote it all in one go and wanted to post it as soon as possible.**

**Review please(:**


	5. Oh, The Irony

GAS Chap 5

**A/N **

**My chapter's keep getting shorter :( I promise a longer one next time!  
><strong>

**Umm… I don't own anything. So enjoy! ~DeAngelo'sMuse**

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><p>Crying. There was so much <em>crying<em>. Oktober rubbed her temples, screwing her eyes shut as she tried to think. She just couldn't wrap her head around the situation. How could her second day be this chaotic? Right now she should be trying out some new gear or practicing. No, instead she's dealing with a bunch of people who are crazy. How did Kaidan convince her to do all this?

Kelly Kelly sat sobbing on her bed, Evan Bourne was equally as bad on the hotel room's sofa, and Punk…Punk was in the same state of frustration as Tober currently was. "Okay, okay, everybody quiet," she commanded, opening her eyes for the first time since she'd entered the room. The sobbing tapered off to a bunch of sniffles and she contemplated how to handle this.

"Hey, Twinkle Toes, why don't I deal with Half Baked over here and you figure out what's going on with Barbie." She looked over at Punk and nodded, his plan would probably work out better than any she would've come up with anyways. Dealing with Kelly is not something she wants to do particularly. In fact, she'd rather deal with Evan. Tober wasn't one to get close to other females. Her sister-in-law was probably the only exception to that.

Sitting down next to the blonde Diva, she wrapped an arm around the shivering form of her roommate. This situation was fairly awkward for the younger women, never really having been the comforting one. Not even to Kaidan. The kid typically comforted himself with video games and junk food.

"Kelly, sweetie, can you tell me what's wrong?" Tober asked, rubbing the Diva's back. Kelly looked up, her eyes red rimmed and swollen. She shook her head and pointed over at Punk. "I don't think Phil is gonna tell anybody. Right, Punk?" The Straight Edge Savior had been listening while dealing with Evan, nodding in confirmation that he could keep a secret.

Kelly felt unsure what to do. She wanted with all her heart to tell _somebody_ what was going on. She felt helpless, nowhere to go. Everything was coming to a standstill and this would mean the loss of her job and all her friends. Not to mention the respect she'd lose.

She trusted Oktober; it was hard not to. Something about the newer Diva just screamed dependable. She tugged on Oktober's sleeve and motioned for her to come closer, whispering in her ear.

Punk shook his head as Evan sniffled pitifully. The brunette was coming down from his high and this was not going to be fun for him. "Hey there, Rag Tag, how ya feeling?" Evan frowned, sitting cross legged and burying his face in his hands. The atmosphere of the whole room was beyond tense as both parties tried to sort out all their problems.

"I promised I'd stop but I just _can't_. I don't know what to do," he whined, rubbing furiously at his eyes. Punk sighed, not sure what to do with the shorter half of Air Boom.

"What? You're PREGNANT?" Both men turned towards the ladies, Kelly slapping a hand over Oktober's mouth. The blonde turned scarlet. Evan was on the verge of falling asleep again as Punk meandered over to the women. "So…who's the dad?" Tober mumbled through Kelly's hand.

There was a rampant knocking at the door, all eyes resting on it like it might be the police or worse, _Vince_. "Kells, please, open up. I'm sorry I freaked on you," a male voice pleaded through the heavy wooden door. Oktober froze and Kelly sobbed harder. Punk looked back and forth between the two women, sensing the impending doom that was Oktober getting up to answer the door. Oh could his life get any more entertaining?

Tober _did_ stand up and, as if in a trance, stepped across the room to the door. Putting her hand on the doorknob, she twisted it slowly. "Twinkle Toes, don't," Punk pleaded, stepping into her way. "You know who it is. Don't answer that."

"Get. The. Hell. Out. Of. My. Way," she growled, wrenching the door open. Punk obliged. What right did he have to stop her? Oktober stood, albeit a foot shorter, inches apart from her ex-husband.

"Alex?"

* * *

><p>Kofi had been searching for Evan all over. There was no show to do so he figured 'why not find my partner and make sure he's not smoking weed?'. Well, that and he'd like to see Oktober too. There was a commotion down a hallway to his left so, being curious, he followed the sound of raised voices. Peering around a corner, he saw Vince and Hunter arguing. He felt kind of bad for the King of Kings; Vince was really hard on him.<p>

"What are we going to do with Jericho? He can't attack Punk like that!" Hunter argued, throwing his hands in the air. Kofi listened in a little closer, careful not to fall forward into the line of sight.

"Oh, let him. I always liked Chris. Punk has a little too much attitude," Vince chuckled. Hunter's heavy breathing could be heard from all around and the vain in his head was becoming scarily apparent.

"Look, _Dad,_ maybe I don't _like_ Brooks, but I'm not going to let my stars get hurt like that. Do something about Jericho or I will," he snarled, walking away in the other direction. Kofi took this as his cue to leave. He shouldn't have overheard that in the first place and getting caught by Vince could mean an "I wish you well…" speech.

Evan couldn't have just disappeared, but that's what it seemed like when Kofi walked into their room. It smelled horrible, like smoke. He shook his head with disappointment. Evan is like a brother but this shit he's doing just ain't right.

Honestly, Evan had no real reason to be smoking. Sure, a lot of the stars would appreciate the extra pain relief but what do you expect when you beat each other up for a living? Kofi opened the curtains covering the room's windows, shedding light on the dark messy room. How Ev could toss his stuff around so wildly in the space of five days was a mystery.

He decided to go search Tober out, find out what's going on with the new Diva. The halls were empty now so he figured it was safe enough. The room he'd believed was Kelly and Tober's was around the corner and hell, he got a surprise. Alex Riley was standing at the door with an ashen Oktober staring him down.

"Uh, hey, everyone, what's going on?" Kofi asked, stopping behind Alex who jumped at the voice. Oktober finally moved, Punk placing a hand on her shoulder to reel in her thoughts. The darker half of Air Boom watched all of this with pure confusion.

Peering into the room, he saw Evan sleeping, Kelly crying, Punk whispering quietly to Tober and a stock still Alex Riley. He took the chance to turn around and walk away. Talking to Oktober could wait until everybody stops acting like there's been a shooting.

Punk looked between Alex and his trainee, shifting awkwardly. He wasn't sure if he should interfere or let Tober beat the shit out of his coworker for cheating on her.

Then there was the Kelly problem. Everything went berserk when Oktober ran from the room, sprinting as fast as possible. Looking at Alex with as much venom as he could muster, Punk sneered at him. "Good going, A-Ry." He soon walked out the door in the direction the ginger woman had run off to.

She didn't know where she was running to but she was absolutely running from Alex. From Punk. From Evan and Kelly and everybody. As she turned the corner, she nearly ran over John Cena who had been innocently strolling on his way to the cafeteria.

She stopped and looked up at him and his dimply grin as tears fell down her face. They weren't tears of sadness, but of anguish and betrayal. She thought job would be a mistake and now all of this just confirms it.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong?" Oktober shook her head, refusing to answer. John frowned, trying to understand but crying women had never exactly been an easy thing for him to deal with. So, instead, he drew her into a hug, her petite form cradled like a kid in his arms. "Whatever it is, it'll be okay."

She felt good for a moment, finally having somebody to hold her when _she_ feels bad but it lasted only but a few seconds. She tore herself away from him as Punk entered the picture. "You," she yelled, pointing a finger at him. He scowled, waiting for whatever it was she'd probably accuse him of. "I _told_ you earlier that Alex Riley was my ex-husband. Why didn't you warn me?"

John took a step back from the situation, wondering exactly how this would go down. He didn't know the whole story though which made things more complicated. There were more missing facts than he was comfortable with.

"I didn't because you would've quit," Punk stated, voice calm and quiet. Tober growled and tensed her muscles up. "Look, I kept my mouth shut but now you know so how about you _deal with it_ instead of getting your feathers ruffled?" John facepalmed. If anything, Punk had just signed his own death warrant. Never _ever_ tell a woman to calm down, even if you don't use those exact words.

Instead of the completely nuclear reaction expected, Tober stepped closer to her mentor and stared him straight in his hazel eyes. "Fuck you, fuck your training this morning, fuck your attitude, and fuck this job. I'm going home." The monotone was beyond seething with malice. With that, she walked away, leaving the two men stunned.

This was not how things were supposed to go. She was supposed to become a great Diva. Punk wanted her and John wanted her to want Punk. She was not supposed to walk away with hatred in her eyes and determination fading away.

They looked at each other and made no move to follow. Sighing and rubbing his face, John turned to his buddy. Placing a hand on the other's shoulder, he let out a heavy sigh. "Well, you just seriously screwed up." Punk threw his fist at the wall angrily, frown marring his expression. He knew he screwed up. Damn his stupid mouth. That little filter everybody has between their brain and mouth doesn't exist for him.

"I need to fix this," he growled, nursing his now pained hand. John nodded and placed his hat on his head. The older just shook his head. Sometimes he just couldn't believe the drama around here.

"I'd say so."

* * *

><p><strong>AN So…lotta drama. Few twists here and there. Hope everything was to y'all's liking. I've got a lot of ideas swirling in my brain and I'm itching to write more.**

**Oh, and StephNexus – I don't like Kelly all that much either so the pregnant with Tober's ex's baby thing…well, yeah explains itself.**

**Kay, I'm done now.**

**Review please:)**


	6. Resistance Is Futile

**A/N Going back into the past on this one. Bear with me :)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Enjoy~ DeAngelo'sMuse**

* * *

><p>Oktober strolled through the town of Charlottesville, the sky fading into the dark of night. She'd ran at first, far from Alex, from the WWE, and furthest from one Philip Brooks. Now all she could do was relive her memories as she walked into a convenience store. As she stepped up to the counter, the cashier gave her a strange look though didn't comment on her tear-swollen red rimmed eyes. "Pack of Marlboro Reds," she stated, handing over an I.D. and some cash.<p>

She sat on a bench in the park, nobody passing by as she sat lost in her thoughts. It'd been two hours since she left and she doubted anybody was out looking for her. Probably figured she'd show up eventually.

Her thoughts went back to places she'd tried to block out for so long, that she kept locked up and stored away.

_ "Alex, stop," a twenty-year-old Oktober Riley giggled, pushing her husband's hands away from her hips. He'd been tickling her, pressing her back against the kitchen counter of their apartment._

_ "Do you really want me to, Tober?" he asked playfully. She snuggled in under his chin, letting Alex wrap his arms around his waist. He stroked her auburn hair gently, kissing her forehead. "You know I love you, Tober. Best thing that ever happened to me," he murmured. She sighed, nuzzling into the crook of his neck._

Pulling out a single cigarette, she grabbed the lighter she always kept in her pants pocket. She'd dropped her habit of smoking right when she started dating Alex. The two wonderful years that they were happy kept her away from that nicotine buzz. The lighter was more of a comfort even if she wasn't smoking.

She'd picked it back up when the letter that ended it all arrived in the mail.

_ The mail arrived that Tuesday, three letters addressed to the 'Riley's'. Oktober grabbed them from the mailbox cheerfully, knowing Alex wouldn't remember by the time he got home from work. She sipped at her coffee, preferring to stay in her tank top and shorts than real clothes. _

_ The first piece of mail was a bill which she set aside to read later. Her mood was soaring; she had some considerably big news to tell her hubby when he got home. The night before she'd taken a trip to the convenience store and bought a little something. That little pink plus on the stick this morning sent her into bliss._

_ The second piece of mail was from her brother and sister-in-law, talking about Kaidan's birthday party and if she could babysit while they went out and got the decorations. She loved that little boy like he was her own, would do anything for Kay. The third letter confused the woman, the handwriting that of her husband's._

_ When she opened and read the contents all the way through, there was no expression on her face. Instead, she got up and got dressed, leaving the cup half full of coffee sitting on the table. Grabbing her keys, she drove to her brother's house, two hours away._

The smoke filled her lungs, a rough cough coming from her lips. It'd been a long time since she'd had a drag. She _had_ smoked again when the letter came but dropped it the next week so she wouldn't influence her nephew.

_ "We're done. He cheated and I'm done," she stated, telling her sister-in-law everything. Unlike most women, she didn't think it was her fault; didn't have that 'was I not good enough?' thought. In fact, she figured he was at fault and demanded a divorce. One that happened _very_ quickly._

She'd barely taken two puffs when her cig was knocked out of her hand. A tennis shoe stepped on the lit end, scrubbing it into the ground. "Smoking is bad for you, y'know," that smarmy voice she'd run from stated. Glancing up, she narrowed her eyes at Punk and pulled out her pack of Reds.

"Fuck off," she growled, shaking out another cig but he grabbed the pack and chucked it somewhere behind her in the park. "Some kid's gonna find those and you'll have to live with yourself for getting them addicted." He didn't reply, just stood in his gym shorts and a t-shirt with his hands on his hips. "If you've got something to say, might as well say it. From what I hear you can't keep your opinions to yourself."

"I want to apologize. I should've said something," he said, watching for her reaction. She feigned surprise, covering her mouth in 'shock'. "Look, what would you have done if I _did_ tell you that your son of a bitch ex-husband was working with the company? I kind of figured your nephew would've told you."

"Don't bring Kaidan into this! He never met Alex and he never will. Alex doesn't deserve to know the kid," she snarled. Inside she cried. There was a part of her who longed to share with her ex-husband the child they could've had.

_ "I'm sorry, Mrs. Riley, but the baby is gone. The immense stress you've been under was too much for the body to handle and so it sacrificed what it thought was the problem." The doctor at the clinic had been so sympathetic, her blue eyes soft and sorrowful. Oktober went through the pain of miscarriage alone, not brave enough to reach out to anybody for comfort. Not even her own family.  
><em>

"Please come back to the hotel. Boy Scout is worried and so is Kofi. They've been out searching for you around the whole city." She didn't reply, didn't stand, and was too lost in her painful memories to register his shamed tone of voice. He slid his hand down to her wrist, circling it gently to encourage her to stand. He didn't know where they stood but he needed to at least get her back to her room.

Not that Punk thought that was a good place for her to stay. Kelly getting pregnant certainly wasn't a surprise. The rumors that she and Kaitlyn were competing for company slut were as old as his career. The fact that it was Riley's baby was the shocker. He could see why maybe Oktober would go for him. He seemed confident, caring and was secure.

When he broke that, when Punk listened to Oktober's pained explanation of their divorce, he saw Riley in a new light; a much darker and hateful one.

Tober responded to the touch, if not just because of the pain, and stood up from the bench, leaning into the Straight Edge Savior. A few tears escaped her eyes and she berated herself on the inside for showing this weakness so publicly and freely.

Punk, not so good with crying women, stiffly wrapped his arms around the ginger woman. Her tears were staining his shirt but in his mind, he justified that there were a million more shirts he could buy. He pushed her back just a little and tipped her chin up to look at him. "Look, stick with me. Don't quit on me, Twinkle Toes. It'll be worth it when you start having fans and you get to meet amazing people."

Tober nodded, for one brief moment feeling like she was safe again. Maybe he's not quite as bad as she'd so melodramatically made him out to be. His hazel eyes drew her in and she felt herself leaning towards him.

There was a shout and she jumped back from his arms like she'd been burned. Punk ran a hand over his slicked back ebony hair, watching as Kofi and John came into sight. They'd noticed the pair standing under a light, both relieved that Tober was alright. Kofi was glad she'd been found, however, John was worried about the situation between the girl and Punk.

Kofi wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her to a cab that was waiting at the curb, talking about how everything would be alright. John hung back to talk with his buddy, careful not to be too sugar coated since Punk prefers bluntness. "Did she forgive you?"

"I wish I knew. I don't think she should be staying with Kelly. I can't think of an open room though. I'm sharing with Randy so I can't exactly kick him out," Punk sighed. John smirked. Oh, he could get Randy to leave if it meant more quality time for the dysfunctional almost-couple.

"Leave that to me." Punk shot him a confused and wondering glance.

* * *

><p>"Alright, I'm going to stay with Codes and Ted," Randy Orton said, hauling his bag over his shoulder. He shot a sympathetic glance in Oktober's direction, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.<p>

"I'm sorry we met at such a bad time. We'll get to know each other later," the ginger woman mumbled, keeping her head down and her arms wrapped around her waist. She looked up at the Viper. "Thanks for doing this." He nodded in acknowledgement, stepping out the door.

"Uh, hun, I don't mean to push things but are we okay?" Punk asked, setting up the other bed for her. She stared, unsure how she felt towards him at the moment.

She'd had a moment of desire when he'd comforted her which scared the ever living hell outta her heart. She'd kept everyone at arm's length since Alex and the baby. This was all going way too fast for her to adjust to and she felt completely overwhelmed.

"I don't know right now. I can't just trust you. I don't trust _anyone_," she said bitterly, frowning as he came a little closer. Instead of stopping in front of her, he walked past to his bag and grabbed a pair of shorts and t-shirt almost identical to his. Tossing them at her, he pointed towards the bathroom.

"Go ahead and change," he commanded, pushing her gently to the bathroom when she didn't budge. Complying reluctantly, she took the chance to fix up her face. Closing the door behind her, she looked into the mirror. The makeup she'd been wearing looked like a kindergartener had painted it on.

His clothes swamped her; swallowed her whole. Pulling her long hair up into a ponytail, she splashed water on her face to cool her down. Her one wish at the moment was to get her stuff from her room but facing Kelly wasn't really something she wanted to do at that precise moment.

The other thing high on her priority list was calling Jordan. He watches the show and she was furious that he as well didn't tell her about Riley. If anything, he should've warned her before she took the job.

She stepped back out, flicking the bathroom light off and heading towards the bed waiting for her. She _was _exceptionally tired and the pillows looked so inviting. So did Punk though, tugging his shirt over his head in preparation for bed. Her eyes roamed over his back, the chords of muscle in his shoulders oh so enticing.

She shook her head, clearing those thoughts away. There's no way she could ever think about that again. When she opened her eyes again, a smirk was in her view. "Feeling better?" Those lips drew her in and she bit her cheek to keep her attention on his hazel eyes. Those weren't exactly the best thing to be focusing on either.

"Oh, uh, yeah. Thanks for finding me," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. He laughed quietly and stepped just a tad bit closer to the woman.

"No problem. Well, if you need anything don't hesitate to shake me a little; light sleeper," he grinned, tonguing that damn lip ring again. She could feel heat rolling off his body and she could barely stand it until he suddenly pulled away. "Goodnight."

Not sure exactly how to react, she just slid into her bed and rested her head on the pillow. She may have forgiven him but she won't fall that fast. No way in hell. She will resist as long as possible. "Oh, and Twinkle Toes, Alex didn't deserve you anyways."

That resistance might not last as long as she wants.

* * *

><p><strong>AN I made the chappie longer this time :) Anyways, thoughts on their new predicament? **

**Review please! **


	7. Debut

**A/N So…not a lotta reviews last chapter :/ Anyways, here's the next one. I've been too busy to write this until now :[  
><strong>

**Enjoy~DeAngelo'sMuse**

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><p><em>One month later<em>

Oktober threw her body forward towards Natalya, their practice match going quite well, actually. Ever since she'd begun her training, she'd been getting better and better. The Kelly situation was still at an impasse, neither her nor the other Diva saying much about it. Tober focused on connecting a fist with Nattie, following up with a kick when the punch didn't land.

Tonight is the night that she debuts and the nerves had been running rampant through her bloodstream. Tober backed off and grinned, shaking hands with Natalya. "Hey, thanks for the training. I'll see you out there tonight."

"Good luck, you'll do great," Natalya smiled and she was being genuine. There was some real talent behind the redhead's talk. The debut tonight ought to be interesting. The blonde stepped out of the ring while Oktober gathered her thoughts, slipping backstage and past a certain champion.

Tober leaned back against the ropes of the ring, closing her eyes and imagining the legions of fans that would be cheering around the arena in less than eight hours. They'd moved through Charlottesville, on to Cincinnati, and her first show was to be in Detroit. As much as she loved the travel, it only served to make her even more nervous. What if the fans hated her or she tripped up big time? Not only would she embarrass herself but Punk as well.

A sigh left her lips as she thought of the outspoken Chicagoan. Her time had really been split up between Punk, Kofi, and training. Occasionally she had time to chat with John but that wasn't often. A soft smile played on her lips. She had a lot of people pulling for her. Only last night she'd Skyped Kaidan and told him about the debut.

Jordan was bringing him to the show tonight; more reason to be uptight and nervous. Not that Kaidan or Jordan would ever judge her. The only people she didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of were the boys (Punk and Kofi) and Alex. If she failed, Alex would have more reason to ridicule her.

Her eyes snapped open as she heard a pair of feet approaching down the ramp. She'd expected somebody she knew, not…the Miz? He hopped up into the ring and Tober made to get out. Grabbing her wrist, Mike prevented her from escaping him. "Wait, I just want to talk." She'd been warned not to be alone with this guy. He's just as obnoxious and backstabbing in real life as he is on screen.

"What is it you want to say?" she asked, tightening her ponytail. He crowded her into the corner of the ring and she scowled. "Back off." He smirked and she raised a hand to push him away.

"I just wanted to wish you good luck on your debut tonight," he whispered, grabbing a lock of her hair in between his fingers. Now she was getting annoyed and the little vein in her temple was throbbing. Miz leaned forward, his lips brushing her cheek and she felt her discomfort level skyrocket. A hand ripped him away from her and she stood there in shock.

Kofi Kingston threw Miz out of the ring and sent him a cold stare. Mizanin shrugged, his face settling into a mean five-year-old look before stalking off up the ramp backstage. "Are you alright, Oktober?" She looked at the high flyer and nodded coolly.

"Yeah, that was just a little disturbing. I swear, it's been a month and I still feel like fresh prey for all you guys," she joked, still trembling just slightly from the confrontation. Her sweat from her workout was beginning to cool and she began shivering slightly as her temperature dropped. Kofi tossed his shirt at her, the only thing he could think to do when any other resources would be backstage.

"Well, don't worry about it. You've got enough of us to protect you from the others. Punk would beat anybody's face in if they hurt you and I would totally be your personal guard," Kofi laughed, a booming sound. Oktober already felt a little better as Kingston wrapped an arm around her shoulders and walked her back up to the backstage entrance.

"How's Ev?" she asked, hoping he'd share something on the younger man. Kofi's smile disappeared like a candle being blown out. Obviously, that subject was still off limits. She could always visit Evan on her own if she _really_ wanted to know. He shook his head and ruffled her hair before turning back towards the ring.

After a hot steaming shower and a light lunch, Tober made her way to what she thought was Evan and Kofi's room. When she knocked there was some shuffling around before the door flew open. Tired brown eyes met hers and she was startled when Evan immediately drew her inside. "Um, how are you?" she asked cautiously, glancing around the dark and messy room. He stood awkwardly, shuffling on his feet to stand in the middle of the room.

"I'm detoxing. I feel like shit," he stated bluntly. His words made the atmosphere drop into arctic temperatures and silence settled in for a few minutes. Kofi must not be talking to him if he's going so far as to detoxify on his own.

"Are you doing this all on your own?" Tober asked, sitting on the bed closest to her. He didn't answer, just kept himself huddled into his black sweatshirt. The hood was up but he looked as though he may not have showered in a while.

Sometimes you have to let people save themselves, but it's not an easy thing to watch when it's a friend.

* * *

><p>"For once, and I hate saying this, I'm proud of your accomplishment, Brooks," the COO congratulated. Hunter looked at Punk, waiting for that triumphant smirk to appear on the young rebel's face or even a witty remark but there was nothing. Phil Brooks held the blankest and most noncommittal expression Triple H had ever seen in his years at the WWE.<p>

Punk was slightly lost in thought. Tonight is not only his match against Miz, but Oktober's debut. He'd been waiting for this day to arrive so he could be proud of her but he was starting to get slightly worried that she'd fail. Not that she wasn't good enough, that wasn't the problem; no, he knew her opponent and it would shake her when she finds out. "Punk!" He glanced up at Hunter and frowned.

"What?" he asked, smoothing a hand over his hair. Hunter stared at him with complete puzzlement.

"I just gave you a free complement and you didn't even say a word. Something bothering you?" Hunter asked, crossing his arms. They were alone in a conference room off the side of the arena and he figured he might as well ask the kid if it's going to affect his performance. Punk shrugged and set a scowl on his features.

"Nothing you'd comprehend," he snorted, standing up and walking out. Hunter ran a hand down his face, frustration building. He never hated Punk, just saw too much of his own attitude in the kid to feel comfortable around him.

Phil paced a little backstage and was stopped by quite a few coworkers as he did. After assuring a few he was perfectly fine, he decided to seek out Oktober and warn her now. He looked out at the ring as he saw Miz back his trainee into a corner. He was going to do something but Kofi ran out first.

"Sucks, don't it," Mike said as he walked backstage and past Punk. Phil looked over at the Awesome One and raised an unhappy eyebrow. "Watching her want somebody else. You're a fool. Should've gotten her when you had the chance." That struck a nerve and Punk flicked him off. Miz just laughed and stalked away, rubbing his shoulder where he'd landed on it. Punk himself stalked away, trying to shake off the cryptic words he'd just received. Maybe a cup of coffee was in order.

When she stepped out of Evan's room, Tober felt unease settle in her stomach. Three hours had passed and she would need to get herself ready for her match soon. Though, as habit seems hard to break, she bumped into Punk on his way back from a coffee break. He steadied her with a firm hand on her waist, pulling her just that extra inch closer.

"Oh, hey," she greeted, not moving away. She hoped, deep down, that she was sending the right signals. She and Punk may not be the most dynamic duo; they still had their little spats, but he was growing on her more and more with each passing day. Not that she'd give in just like that. There was still a fight in her that wanted him to chase her down, try to get her attention instead of her doing so.

"Going to get ready, Twinkle Toes?" he grinned, satisfied when she blushed lightly. Her body felt great against his and he wanted her closer. He respects women, however, and he wouldn't dream of doing anything that would hurt or push her away.

"Yeah, going to change into my gear and head out to the arena. You ready to go against Miz?" she asked, frowning after mentioning Mike's name. She really disliked the man and her earlier encounter was not the first.

"I'll be fine, you just worry bout yourself, hun," he laughed, releasing her and walking down the hall. Blushing, she made her way back to her room that she shared with Nattie. Tonight would be one of a kind and she was scared that it wouldn't be in the good way.

* * *

><p>"Congratulations Punk, way to go! Congratulations on your big win!" Chris Jericho clapped on screen as Punk stared from the ring. Oktober stood backstage. Her match was directly after this and she was watching Punk before getting warmed up. "You need to enjoy them while you can Punk. You see, you can smirk if you want to but I see straight through you."<p>

Punk didn't expect any of this. In fact, he was actually interested to where Jericho would take this. "When I look at you I see a fraud and I'm not talking about you calling yourself 'the best in the world'. I'm talking about you as a person," Chris continued on. Tober crossed her arms, wondering where this was going. Over the past month of her being here all Jericho did was harp about Punk being a wanna be. What else could he possibly have to whine about?

"Cause I did a little research today. Found a little deep dirty secret of yours." Punk smirked and tongued his lip ring like usual, glancing at the screen and then out to the crowd. "You've been straight edge ever since you came to the WWE and you never explained the reasons why." It'd been over five years since his straight edge thing had been truly attacked and Punk frowned. This was going bad quickly.

"I wanna tell all these wanna be's why you're straight edge. I want to tell them you're straight edge because your father is an _alcoholic_." Jericho must feel satisfied because the reaction he got was horrible. Oktober's stomach churned as she watched her mentor of a month freeze. "That's right; your father was an alcoholic who let you down _every step of the way_ when you were growing up." The expression on Punk's face was heartbreaking and he had paled considerably. Tober felt that Jericho was just stooping to a new low and looked away. "It terrifies you. You don't want to end up like him."

"But it's inevitable that you _will_. Alcohol is in your _blood_ Punk, it's in your genes; it's part of who your are and that tortures you and everyone around you. I know you've built this façade, this wall and you use your trainee to let loose and be yourself but I think I've found something that you care about. I've found something that gives you nightmares." As Jericho went on, Oktober spun on her heel and searched out one of the guys she knew would help her out.

John Cena was standing, watching the monitor with a disappointed frown. This was not some of Creative's better plot lines and leading up to Wrestlemania this way was a bad idea.

"John," Tober called, tapping him lightly. He turned and glanced down at the redhead. As he did, he heard more of Chris' stinging words reverberate through the arena.

"Isn't ironic that the same alcohol that you crave is the thing that ruined your childhood? All the nightmares you must have about your dad, I almost feel bad for you Punk." Oktober breathed in an angry sigh and fisted her hands.

"Where's Jericho hiding?" she asked with fire in her eyes. John weighed the options of telling her. She could go berserk and beat the hell out of the jerk or he could lie and say he has no idea, let Punk take this psychological beating with no vengeance. He chose the first option.

"He's in his dressing room down the hall and to the left; second door on the right side of the hallway. You have twenty minutes. Go get him, tiger," John said, pushing her towards the right direction.

"Is that the reason you have all those tattoos? Was the pain of wanting to drink so bad that you needed the pain of a tattoo needle to take it out of your mind?" Jericho smirked to himself as he watched Punk's reaction to the recording in his dressing room. That broken look was satisfying as he relaxed in a chair. "You are going to drink eventually and I'm the one who's going to make you drink." He loved hearing his own voice but that tiny voice in his head said he should feel guilty. _That_ voice was ignored.

A knock at his dressing room door caught his attention and he debated whether or not he wanted to answer. Hauling himself out of his chair, he twisted the doorknob to see who it was. Instead of a greeting, he got a fist in the face. "How dare you stoop that fucking low you stupid son of a bitch. I'm going to knock your lights out!"

When she was finished laying Jericho out, Oktober left him to nurse his injuries and got ready for her own match. Hopefully she wouldn't lose after expelling so much energy. When she arrived at Gorilla Position, Punk was returning from the ring. She reached a hand out and stopped him as he prepared to brush by. "Hey, Brooks, are you okay?" she asked and he set his hazel eyes on her green ones. That look sent a shiver up her spine.

"I don't want to talk about it, Oktober. I'll watch your match from the locker room," he said, monotone. Without another word or glance, he was gone and ignoring the reporter who asked for his opinion. She stood there, stupefied. That was the first time he'd called her by her real name and not 'Twinkle Toes'. Her disquiet followed her up until she was called out for her match.

She'd chosen a song titled 'The End of Heartbreak' by Killswitch Engage. Had she known Punk used to use a similar song by them she'd probably have chosen different. As she was cheered and the commentators introduced her, she spotted her brother and nephew in the crowd, front row on the left. The announcer waited until she was in the ring to announce her opponent and she felt sick as she heard the 'Holla Holla" theme. Kelly Kelly bounced out with a perky and cheerful look, basking in the cheers she received.

"I thought you were unable to fight anymore," Oktober said once Kelly joined her in the ring. Kelly smiled big, bright, and fake as she stepped forward.

"There's ways of solving my problem. I just took the easy way out," she explained but a certain sadness flashed through her eyes. Tober suddenly had the striking feeling that terminating the baby wasn't Kelly's choice. She felt ill but fought anyways when the bell rang. She ended up winning and the sick feeling returned when she realized that Kelly couldn't have won after what she'd been through.

Her victory felt undeserving but she smiled as the crowd cheered anyways, letting the ref raise her hand and congratulate her. Her walk backstage was less than triumphant and even when John hugged her and Kofi ruffled her hair, her mind was elsewhere. She trudged her way back to Punk's dressing room and turned the knob slowly. At least she can share her misery with somebody else who's in the same position.

Oktober expected him to be upset, pacing in his room. Maybe he would just be sitting watching the monitor as another match proceeded. She did not expect him to be standing in front of a mirror, staring at his reflection with his fingers gripping the dresser so hard his knuckles had whitened. "You want to talk about it?"

Punk turned to her with a pained and agonized expression. He stepped forward quickly and before she had time to understand or comprehend, his lips were on hers. "I don't want to talk about anything."

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><p><strong>AN O_O I seriously didn't think I would end the chapter that way. Sorry for the long wait and all. Hope it was worth it. Also, those were mostly Jericho's real words so: disclaimer: I don't own anything.  
><strong>

**Reviews Please!**


	8. Alliances and Betrayals

**A/N Whoa so drama last time. I love this chapter though :)**

**Cenationgirl: Right? I totally wanted to just hug Punk and give Jericho the finger. There's no reason to bring up Punk's father or sister or any family at all.**

**StephNexus: Thank you for the complements and that line made me smile when I wrote it :)**

**Enjoy~DeAngelo'sMuse**

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><p>Oktober melted. Punk wrapped his arms around her waist to bring her in closer and she absolutely <em>melted<em> against him. Then her brain caught up with her actions and she broke away. Staring into his confused hazel eyes, she saw the pain and tension he was holding behind them. "Not like this," she mumbled, turning and running out the door.

She would never need to exercise again with all the running around she does; around a corner, then another, and finally coming to a stop in an alcove. There was silence except for her heavy panting breaths. Then something squeaked and she paused, holding her breath. Footsteps came towards her and when she looked up, she was faced with two problems; one a blond, blue eyed, Lite Brite jacket wearing jerk and a tall, dark, and ugly Mexican aristocrat minus his little lackey.

"Hey there little girl," Del Rio drawled menacingly. Tober scowled and stood with her arms crossed over her chest. She felt slightly awkward with how revealing her uniform is but she ignored that for the moment. Jericho stood silently, taking in the whole situation. He didn't want to hurt her as much as just _scare _her. Del Rio was a bit of a variable since he could be unpredictable.

"Can I help you two?" Tober asked, glaring from one to the other. She didn't mind Del Rio; but after his speech earlier, _Jericho_ was on her bad side. He probably wasn't too fond of her either with that beat down she delivered. There was a nice little bruise forming under his eye and she felt fairly proud of herself.

"Actually, we'd just like to talk about this little 'thing' you've got going on with Punk," Jericho said, expression revealing nothing. Oktober placed her hands on her hips and waited for him to continue, raising an unimpressed slim ginger eyebrow. "Fine, I'll start, getting involved with him is only going to hurt you both. Depends on my mood which one of you gets it worse."

"That sounds like a threat, Lite Brite. If I were you I'd just back off. We could have a repeat of earlier if you want," she laughed. Jericho was…impressed with her. She was interesting, a puzzle and he loved to solve things; find out how they tick.

"I'm not going to be so lenient. I don't mind scaring you," Del Rio chuckled condescendingly. He raised a hand and before he could even land a blow, Jericho was wailing on him. Del Rio was on the ground, his arms shielding his face. Eventually, he fended Chris off and ran off in the other direction. Through this entire thing, Tober had just been standing with a dropped jaw.

"Why'd you save me from Prickberto Del Asshole?" (**Shout out to Enigmatic Kaneanite! Been waiting to use the name…) **Tober asked, eyebrows knitting together in uneasiness. This sudden turn was unexpected and he didn't seem like the one to suddenly be 'knight in shining armor'. He said nothing and instead walked away without a word while she stood there confused. Well, that _is_ vintage Y2J, right?

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><p>Evan Bourne walked through the hallways backstage, nothing else to do but wander. He still had a week left in his suspension and Kofi refused to speak to him. However, that didn't mean Evan wouldn't try to force it. He paced outside their old dressing room thinking of ways to apologize. He'd be back soon from his match up and probably looking for Oktober.<p>

She had in fact changed Kofi for the better in some ways, Evan thought. Not only was he more forgiving but he was kinder. Not that he wasn't before but it's surprising how much he is now. The only problem was that she seemed to be much better for Punk.

Brooks was a hard man to get along with and Evan knew it. Most people left the Straight Edge Superstar alone and he kept to himself. From the time that he arrived and started his straight edge preaching to now, being the WWE champ and a crowd favorite; Phil Brooks is a complicated man. He never indulges in outings with his coworkers. Evan would know; he and Kofi had invited Punk out on numerous occasions with no reaction.

The arrival of this new diva fascinated many of the stars, even the ones who'd never had the pleasure to meet her. Bourne found her charming and spunky, something he liked about her. He would never pursue her, Punk already has dibs even if he doesn't quite understand it yet, but Evan wanted her to stay for a long time.

The thing he liked most about Oktober was the capacity she has for caring about others. She didn't know him and yet…she helped talk to his partner. Obviously she didn't approve of the drug use and still…Oktober had stepped in and lent a hand to a person who most certainly didn't deserve it at the time.

The only thing he wondered about was her past. What could affect her so much that she puts up those walls around her? What is she hiding that she is so afraid or ashamed of? It couldn't be Riley…could it? Evan was still pacing as Kofi returned and the returning star spared him no glance.

"Evan," he stated, placing a hand on the doorknob of his locker room. Kofi didn't want to stay or confront this right now. He was just riding off the high of winning his match and dealing with his drug addicted ex-partner was a sore spot.

"Kofi, wait, I need to ask you something," Evan said, reaching a hand out but Kofi shied away from him. He turned the doorknob and went to step inside the room; leave Evan hanging. "It's about Oktober." Kofi paused, torn.

"What about her?" he asked, staring down at his feet. Evan sighed and motioned towards the interior of the room. Kofi stepped aside, his gut saying this wasn't going to be a happy visit. "Evan, what about _Oktober_?"

"What's she hiding?" Evan asked, rubbing his chin. Kofi cocked his head to the side with confusion. "It's just that she's helped so much but she snaps at everybody. What's her damage?"

Nothing but silence. Kofi sighed and sat down on a sofa in the room while Evan leaned against the door. "I don't know. I doubt she'd tell me either."

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><p>Punk punched his door. Then he nursed his fist a moment before punching again. At one point he split the flesh open on his knuckles but he ignored the blood and continued his rhythmic pounding of the door. "Punk! Would you stop that!" A voice on the other side of the door shouted.<p>

"Go fuck yourself, Boy Scout," Punk growled as he backed away from the closed door. John opened it and stepped inside with a deep set frown. "What part of 'go the hell away' do you not understand, Johnny? Need me to explain it again?"

"No, I need you to calm down and listen. Whatever you did, it can be fixed but I…I just got some disturbing news from Nattie. It's about Kelly. About…the baby," he stuttered. Punk stared at him stoically, crossing his arms over his 'WWE Ice Cream Bar' shirt. "She aborted it." Punk blinked, not completely sure how this came as much of a shock. It was either have the baby or keep the job; can't have it both ways.

"And?" Punk asked. John rubbed his face and tried to think of a way to explain this. Punk wouldn't be happy; John wasn't exactly sane himself about this. "Look, you wouldn't have said anything if this didn't have something to do with me so spill it, Chain Gang," Punk snarled.

"Riley…he…he did some things that weren't right. Kelly… she said he was rough, smacked her around even after she tried to defend herself. She was talking and she mentioned some things he'd told her about. Some things about Oktober and when they were married," John explained and he felt the dread welling in him about what he was going to divulge.

Punk could feel his patience wearing thin as he waited for John to get to his point. When Cena didn't say anything, Brooks grabbed him by the collar of his 'Rise Above Hate' shirt and slammed him against the dressing room wall. "What did he do to her?"

"When he cheated on her…he knew. He knew that Oktober was…pregnant and he…" John rambled and watched Punk's eyes glaze over when he finished telling him what Riley did. There was a deep silence as Punk registered what he had been told before he tore out of the room. John slid down the wall and sighed.

This was getting way out of hand and he may have just set off a time bomb. "Good job, Cena. You probably just got a guy fired, maybe two, and you're about to witness a possible murder. You're a damn Fruity Pebble," Cena mumbled, running a hand over her face before getting up and following Punk's trail of destruction through the halls of the arena. It was already eleven forty-five and he was plain ass way to tired for this.

There was shouting from around a corner and John sprinted forward. He saw Punk bent over on the ground and a knocked out Oktober laying flat on her back. "What happened?" Punk looked up at him, pale as a ghost. "Phil?"

"She passed out," Punk stated. He slid his arms under her legs and back, picking her up bridal style with more care than John had ever seen from the Chicago native.

"What has she done to you?" John asked and Punk threw a glance over his shoulder.

"Sorry?" he said but John shook his head. As Punk turned to walk away, John hid a grin behind his hand. Things might still work out.

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><p>There are more forces at work behind the scenes than most think. That was the thought running through Evan's mind as he left Kofi's dressing room. He'd gotten nothing from his ex tag partner but he was on a mission. Maybe, just maybe, if he focused on this he could help not only Tober, but himself. If he's distracted then he can't spend his free time high as a kite in March.<p>

Evan passed by people in the hallways when he returned to the hotel they were staying at. Some conversations could be heard through the thin lodge's doors. Randy Orton could be heard talking to Cody Rhodes about a recent match. Zack Ryder was on the phone with his dad, a loud laugh ringing from the 'Broski's' room.

Only one conversation peaked Evan's interest though; a feminine voice that was distinctly distressed and a man who was suspiciously familiar. "Why? Why did it have to be that way?" the woman pleaded and there was silence. Evan crept closer to the door and listened hard. "I could've quit." Kelly?

"I'm not discussing this. Get out of my room. Keep your mouth shut or I'll do a lot worse," the male voice threatened and Evan backpedaled fast when he heard footsteps. That was Alex Riley's voice and that was not somebody to tangle with.

The door flew open and Kelly came out with tears pouring down her perfectly tanned face. Evan feigned having just 'been passing by' and stopped to ask her if she was alright. She nodded and wiped away the tears quickly. Bourne put an arm around her shoulder and walked the blonde down the hallway. "Kelly, I think we need to talk." She looked at him with confusion. "It's about Riley…and Oktober."

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><p><strong>(Sorry for all the scene changes this chapter!)<strong>

She was dazed when she woke up. Something was off and there was faint beeping in the background. Finally, as her vision began to focus, she registered the white walls of a hospital room. The sun was shining through a window and classical music was playing softly from a speaker in the ceiling.

Her limbs felt numb and there was a weight on her shoulder. She turned her head only to nearly bump her chin on her nephew's sleeping head. He was curled up at her side with an arm tucked up against him and one slung over his side. Jordan was asleep in a chair just past his son, head tilted back and his mouth drooping open.

"You're awake," a soft voice murmured and she whipped her head to the other side. Kelly was at her side with a concerned Evan Bourne looking on. Punk was sitting in the window seat with a book, though his eyes were closed and he seemed to be asleep.

"What happened to me?" she asked, wincing at how raspy her voice came out. She kept it quiet, an attempt to keep Kaidan sleeping peacefully. Kelly looked guilt ridden while Evan was encouraging her to speak up.

"Listen, I think I should tell you something. You're going to be mad and you'll hate me but you really need to kn-" she began but the door to the room opened. A doctor shuffled in and glanced at her visitors.

"Excuse me but I need to talk to Ms. Samuels. Family or spouse only, please," the doctor stated. Kelly and Evan shared a glance and stood up. The blonde diva shook the thirteen-year-old awake, barely able to pry him away from his aunt. Jordan jerked awake as well and escorted his son out with a pointed look at his sister. The doctor looked at Punk who had gotten up and stood by Oktober's bed side. "Are you family?"

"I'm her fiancé," he lied, frowning. The doctor stared for a moment longer before accepting that answer. Oktober was slipping in and out of consciousness, unsure what in the hell was being discussed. The doctor's words fluctuated between being discernable and plain incoherent.

"We ran blood samples and there was something suspicious in the cells. It looks like long term damage from a small dose of medication. Did you ever taken Emmenagogues?" She looked at him with a completely blank look.

"What are the effects?" Punk asked, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently.

"Well, if given to a normal healthy woman it can just encourage her to have a menstrual cycle. If given to a woman who is already pregnant…she will lose the child. It can be administered in pill form or powder in a liquid. Do you know if you've had anything like that?"

Tober had gone sickeningly pale and she thought she might throw up if she so much as opened her mouth. She knew what had happened. This was bad, beyond bad. When they were married, Alex had insisted on making her coffee every morning. She never watched him make it. Not even once.

The monitor measuring her heart rate beeped erratically as panic settled in. Her eyes rolled back into her head and everything went black yet again, leaving an anxious Chicagoan and a frustrated doctor to deal with the repercussions. Then everything went to hell.

"What's going on with my talent?" a gravelly old voice rasped from the doorway and Punk thought he might faint right along with Tober.

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><p><strong>AN Mother trucker that took a long time to write! There was a lot to clear up about Tober's past and it's not quite done yet. I made Punk a little out of character but that's what Tober does to him ;) **

**Hope everybody liked this chapter even with all the spastic scene changes. Oh, and for anybody who's read (and liked) my story A Beautiful Disaster (a CodyxRandy story), I've got an idea for another CANDY fic so look for it soon!**

**Apologies for any grammar mistakes; I'm too lazy to look over them right now since I'm out of my sport season with a back injury so oh well :)  
><strong>

**~DeAngelo'sMuse**

**Review! (Long note, huh?)  
><strong>


	9. Harsh Reality

**A/N okay sorry about the rage note last time! Anyways, did anybody else watch Wrestlemania? Cause it was great and bad at the same time. I don't know, mixed feelings really.**

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><p><strong>Wrestlemania SPOLIERS SO DON'T READ IF YA DON'T WANNA KNOW, alright, I warned you.<strong>

**CM Punk won! :D I was so excited cause I really thought Jericho had him in the end but nope, Mr. Lite Brite couldn't stick it out for the anaconda vice. Anyways, so happy for Phil.**

**Okay, I love the Rock but I was rooting for John. All the way. Only because he really doesn't deserve the shit he's given because he's _good_. John 'Boy Scout' Cena is a good wrestler and I really don't need to defend him. Sure, the Rock did win and he's a good guy for thanking Cena for being a good opponent but really, John deserved the win more in my opinion.**

**Cody's match was painful as hell to watch because I already **

**knew he couldn't win. He was asking to get his ass handed to him and well, it was.**

**Triple H vs Undertaker with Shawn Michaels as ref. Wow. I never thought I'd see that. The amount of respect shown between all three was astounding and I'm so glad and amazed that I saw it. Shawn giving Undertaker a hand after the match was over. Undertaker, even after having WON, still walked over and helped Triple H to stand and walk out of the ring. That was the end of so many things. The end of an era. The end of a long withstanding chapter of the WWE history. So many things and yet, Undertaker, Shawn, and even Triple H can still at the end of the day shake hands and say 'no hard feelings'. That is something amazing and it will never be seen between other people. There will never be another Dead Man Walking. There will never be another Heartbreak Kid or Cerebral Assassin and I was lucky enough to see it from beginning to end. That…that is awe inspiring food for thought.**

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><p><strong>Sorry for the note being so long… if you didn't read it then it wasn't really so long but whatever, I had to say something and I'll probably talk more at the end so beware of spoilers. Here's the next chapter. Things won't be so doom and gloom, I promise!<strong>

**Enjoy~ DeAngelo'sMuse**

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><p>Vince McMahon looked at the hospital bed where one Oktober Samuels was, in Punk's opinion, lucky to have passed out. She would not have to deal with what he was about to bullshit his way through. "Well, what's going on?" Vince demanded; face turning the slightest shade of red.<p>

Punk sealed his lips shut. The doctor slipped away to safety after quickly mumbling that he'd sign a release form. McMahon shifted his gaze to the straight edge champion and waited for a response.

"It's personal business. She's been cleared as long as she takes some vitamins. Guess the stress of dealing with backstage douchebags wore her out," Punk spat out robotically.

Oktober stirred and opened her eyes, looking completely spaced. When she saw Vince she screwed her eyes shut quickly. _Shit._ Thankfully, the old man accepted the answer and stalked out to answer a phone call. Tober stared up at Punk.

"Thanks," she whispered and he scowled, taking his hand off her shoulder where it had been resting. Confused by his reaction, she sat there. Not like she could really do anything else and she can't just pretend he didn't hear something completely personal and crazy. Punk put his arms behind his head and paced about. A slow heavy breath exhaled through his nose was his only control.

"Yeah, thanks to me you're still in the job. You brought this on yourself," Punk growled though he winced at the harshness of his own voice. That was a problem he'd had for a long time, a cold heart. He didn't mean any of this. He'd brought it upon her and the best way to fix it is through distance. Yeah…distance.

"Oh, yeah, because you definitely watch out for me, huh? Glad you don't have a wife or kids. I don't even think a dog could survive your arctic attitude. If I brought this on myself then why are you still here? Why did you even bother? Jericho wouldn't have left if you hadn't 'come to my rescue'. Like you even know anything about me! For somebody against being judgmental, doting on coming from nothing, you are a serious hypocrite. Might as well leave, _Phil_," she laughed sardonically. Life was

Punk didn't respond though that pierced a little deeper than he expected. For somebody who felt he was cold, let every possible insult roll off like raindrops, he couldn't shake this off. Nothing showed however as he did just what she said, he left. Kofi passed him on his way out, a firm scowl on the usually perky star's face. "Whatever you did to get kicked out was the wrong move."

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><p>After Punk had left, Kofi had shuffled in cheerfully as possible to check on Oktober. She greeted him with a weak smile. Kofi pulled a chair up and sat down by her bedside, holding her hand in his. "How are you? I heard you passed out and Punk brought you in," Kofi asked, rubbing her hand soothingly. Tober kept that small smile plastered on her face.<p>

"I think I worked myself too hard. It was because of a small vitamin deficiency. Don't worry about me, I'm fine," she replied. Kofi almost believed her but that was thrown out the window when he saw tears spill down her cheeks. There wasn't much he could say; truthfully, there wasn't much he had the right to say. Whatever went down before he walked in was none of his business but it _could_ be.

Though he said nothing, Kofi sat with Tober until she fell asleep. It was then that Evan popped his head into the room and called Kofi over. The high flyer looked at his ex-partner cautiously, regarding him with a new light over Evan's appearance.

The normally well kept, yet stoned, brunette looked like hell. Not only were there dark bags under his eyes but he looked physically ill as well. Kofi promised himself he'd get to the bottom of that later, now isn't the time.

"Hey, look, we need to talk. I think Punk said something to her," Kofi addressed, closing the door to Oktober's room. Evan snorted and ran a hand through his unkempt hair.

"You think? He busted outta that room like he robbed a bank. I'm surprised she didn't come sprinting after him if he pissed her off enough. Anyways, Punk fucking up is his own problem. There are bigger things going on," Evan pressed.

Kofi frowned and the unsettling thought that Wrestlemania was in three days put the pressure on like no other show could. The biggest show of the year had been looming over the heads of the stars for months now and it was reaching boiling point.

"You're right. This will have to wait until after Sunday. Oktober is cleared and she can compete but I'm worried about her. Or worried for her I guess. There's a lot going on and she's not exactly making friends…" Kofi sighed, pulling his hair back into a ponytail of braids. The two guys shared a moment of despair before sitting down to discuss other matters. One of which, was the upcoming end of Evan's suspension.

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><p>John couldn't believe his ears when Punk fessed up to his actions at the hospital. "What in the mother truck were you thinking?" he asked, throwing his hands up dramatically. Punk couldn't help the slight chuckle he let out, even through all the anger he had held in.<p>

"Wow, PG even without the cameras," he snorted but John just stared darkly. This was not planned. Cena had everything well thought out. Even with all the stuff going on between himself and the Rock, he still thought of a way to help out his friend. How's that for being a 'boy scout'?

"Y'know what? Shut up. I don't know how to help you. All you really should've done was comfort her and say everything is gonna be okay. Did you? No. No, you blamed her and then stormed out. Good job, you're one step closer to being forever alone while Jericho steals your girl and your title. Yeah, way to go," Cena ranted, clapping mockingly. This was ridiculous. He was fed up with this childish bullshit. How old is Punk? Oh yeah, thirty-three. "Time to man up, Phil."

"Look, I didn't tell you so you could fucking mock me. If you don't have any way of helping then fine, I guess I've 'Cena nuff' to figure it out myself," Punk snapped, air quotes at the ready. He turned to leave the locker room where they were talking but John grabbed his shoulder. "What? Got something else to rub in my face?"

"No, sorry, just got a little frustrated. I'll help…but you gotta actually try not to be a total douchebag. Key word being 'try'," Cena stated with only an eye roll in response. "Just go back, apologize, and say it's the stress of Wrestlemania getting to you. She'll understand and if not, well, I don't know. Look, I've got to get myself psyched into the match for Sunday so for now, you're on your own," John released Punk's shoulder and walked out of the locker room. The Straight Edge champ stood there for a moment, debating on his next move.

He's not completely heartless. It's not like he meant anything he said. It was all out of wanting to distance himself, yet he felt as though he'd been totally and completely wrong to do that.

He didn't even feel like himself. Where's the old Philip Jack Brooks? The one who didn't give a shiny rat's ass about what he did or said? The one who worked his way to the top through hell and high water? Now he's the champion and what does he have to show for it? He has a bad attitude, hurts people he cares for, and a hell of a lot of aching bones. Not exactly deserving of a pat on the back.

That was his cue to step out of his mind, take a break from all the thoughts running through his head. What he really needs to do is get himself in the game. If he loses to Jericho on Sunday, he might as well rip up his contract and say goodbye. Well, gave it the old college try, deuces everybody! No, that's not the Phil Brooks he started as and will _not_ be the Phil Brooks he ends up as.

A one Mr. Lite Brite stopped Punk on his way to catering. One had a grimace on his face while the other smirked. The roles were reversed, not something Punk liked.

Although, something was off when that smirk dropped from Chris' face and an uncharacteristic caring expression graced his face. "How is your trainee? I heard she's in the hospital." Punk didn't reply, just stood with a scowl. "Fine. I don't care about our feud, just tell her I hope she's well." Jericho shook his head and walked away leaving Punk in warped confusion. Now he just felt like the bad guy. He hadn't really been acting that bad had he?

What Punk did not see was the devious grin spread across Y2J's face. Deep down, Chris was indeed worried for the young woman. He didn't particularly hate _her_ but he hated whom she is attached to. Going through her is getting to Punk.

Getting to Punk through family and friends is how he'll get his title on Sunday. If Brooks is already tearing holes in his relationships, then all the more to it. Not like it's going to hurt Jericho's chances if Punk's in emotional turmoil come Wrestlemania night.

Again, Punk was left to silently ponder his next move. Practice seemed like the best option but he just couldn't bring himself to go. He unconsciously started smoothing his hands over his gelled hair, a nervous habit he'd picked up while in the business.

A dull ache in his lower back alerted him to its protest. Maybe he should get that checked out. No pain meds but a small massage might work out any kinks before Sunday. He changed his course and turned towards the medical room, blanking out everything he'd been worrying about. It would have to wait until after Sunday.

Oktober did _not_ think this could wait until after Sunday. She was already released from the hospital and the only thing stopping her from hauling her skinny ass down to Punk's dressing room for a tussle was Kofi.

He insisted he help her to her hotel room. Of course, it was no secret that she was spitting mad but Kofi wanted to make sure it didn't seem like he'd let a rabid angry woman loose without caution. Once she's through her hotel room, whatever she decides to go do is her own problem. She did leave after him and Kofi just put on his mental blinders and excused it as 'Punk getting exactly what he was asking for'.

Tober raged and fumed as she speed walked down the hallways to the hotel entrance. She passed a lot of people who tried to ask about her health and some she even flicked off. She walked all the way to the arena. Her fury over Punk's words was something she'd had time to mull over in her head. She had the perfect response formulated in her mind when she found him.

Up and down backstage she tried to find the almighty CM Punk. It was a ghost town and he was nowhere to be seen. A primal scream bubbled its way from her chest to her lips and she couldn't stop it. No one was around to care what she did and so she let it rip. Screams of rage and tears of anguish over this job sent her to her knees where she quieted down and sobbed. This emotional spike was too much for her to handle.

Chris Jericho had heard the first scream and he came running. Something about that scream was knocking at his intuition. He wrapped his arms around the sobbing woman and for once he felt like maybe he was doing the right thing. His only thought as he rested his chin on her head was to question where Punk was. Did he cause this?

Jericho rubbed her back soothingly. Crying women had never shied him away like it typically does to most males. He knew just how to handle this and that meant just being present.

The more he rocks her back and forth, the more he rubs her back, and the more he whispers soothing words, the more she'll calm down. The closer he can get to her. The more he can attack Punk later. This was helping his plan along quite nicely.

Nothing can be planned to the last detail however and there's always more room for things to go wrong or change. What Chris did not expect was a sudden urge he got when looking into those tearful green eyes to kiss her.

He'd been with enough women in his life, he wasn't a saint. But this was weird. Off kilter. When he pressed his lips to hers he got a mild response but frankly, he was so shocked at himself he didn't even think to gauge her reaction. Oh hell, this was not going to work itself out and he should've left her to her crying. She'd already hopped up like she'd been yanked by a string, scrambling off in another direction while he just sat on the floor.

"Shit. Shit, shit, shit," he cursed, running his hands down his face. What else is there to say? He just made this feud with Punk even more personal. This was getting in a little too deep for him. He just wanted the WWE Championship. He didn't want to screw _everything over_. Too late now.

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><p><strong>AN Okay, so it was a little doom and gloom. Next chapter is about Wrestlemania so there's your warning.**

**Anyways, continuing from the top note. Edge retiring and just the whole speech he gave was just heart wrenching. Especially when he said his best tag team partner was his mom for always believing in him. Man, I've never really talked about Edge but he was a big changer in the way of matches. I've always thought the guy was amazing but his epic 'I'll play my own music to my exit' was just wow.**

**Anyways, I've made my notes long enough and I hope it doesn't discourage anybody from reading the actual story. **

**Review!**


	10. A Way With Words

**A/N Wow! Chapter 10 already! I would like to make a note that I had some serious writers block on this chapter :( BUT I got sudden inspiration from a song (big surprise, right?) Thanks to Broken Road by Sully Erna (of the band Godsmack), I found a great way to fix things up between Oktober and Punk. Oh and for Wrestlemania.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my OCs. Not NCIS either unfortunately.**

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><p>"I don't know if I can say<br>I've lived through everything  
>but I've walked this earth alone<br>with bare feet broken in the snow  
>and my father said to me<br>it never seems to be  
>a simple walk down an icy cold broken road." –Sully Erna (Broken Road)<p>

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><p>Chris Jericho was, in essence, panicking. It was Wrestlemania night and he was backstage trying to keep his cool. Punk couldn't possibly know, right? Oktober was too pissed to tell him, right? He fiddled with his improved light up jacket and heaved a heavy sigh.<p>

He was briefly interviewed and he talked about his jacket and being ready for the match. When they left, he scolded himself for even freaking out at all. He's a grown man. If he wants to kiss Punk's girl then he fucking will. She's not really Punk's girl anyways since he's obviously messed up. Chris couldn't help but laugh to himself. When he takes Punk's title tonight, he'll take Oktober right along with it.

While Lite Brite was convincing himself, Punk was down the hall in the locker room he used trying his hardest to stay calm. Gotta keep the head clear and focused, y'know? As he slid on his boots he banged his head against the top of his locker. "Son of a bitch!" There was a cough from the door where John Cena was standing, looking ashen but still slightly smiling.

"I take it you're getting frustrated," John chuckled, pushing off the door frame and sitting on the bench in the room. Punk glared at him as he rubbed the sore spot on his head.

"Don't you have a match to be syking yourself into, Chain Gang?" Punk snapped, pulling on a t-shirt over his tattooed torso. John grimaced and shook his head in disappointment.

"No need for attitude. I guess you haven't apologized to 'Twinkle Toes' yet. I have to say, I'm a little let down by your personal failure," John sighed, hoping he'd hit the right nerve to strike Punk's temper. If he did this just right, Punk might scurry out to apologize before his match. It could even help him win if his mood is upped enough. He had one more trick up his sleeve if the words didn't work, however, and she was standing right outside the door.

"Look, John-Boy, I don't need your approval on my actions. If I wanted to hear how 'disappointed' you are then I'd ask. And y'know what? I have to beat a sorry blond prick's ass in twenty minutes so I think maybe it would be a good idea for you to _get the hell out_. Sound like a plan, Stan?" Punk hissed and John raised his hands defensively.

"Alright, alright, sorry I bothered. She's a wonderful girl so I hope you figure things out. Good luck on your match, Phil," Cena said, getting up and walking to the door. "You can't hurt people and just say 'okay, too bad'."

Punk swallowed harshly at those words a Cena walked out the door. He felt like such a spoiled brat. Where did the real Phil go? He rolled his wrists and started on his shoulders moments after. Not much he can do now.

When John closed the door, he looked over at the woman he'd asked to be here. Most would expect it to be Oktober, yes? No, it was Punk's sister. The scowl on her face said it all as she pushed past Cena and into the room he'd just left. "Well, anybody else want to barge into my locker room for a tour?" Punk asked sarcastically, still looking at the monitor displaying the ongoing match.

"I don't think I have to knock, big brother," Chalene snorted, crossing her arms. Punk froze and turned to look at his little sister. The raised eyebrow said more than he liked.

"Why are you…?" He questioned and she narrowed her eyes at him. The woman stepped closer to her brother and raised a hand. Punk wasn't sure what to expect. Hell, maybe she'd hit him.

She didn't but she _did_ pull him in for a gentle hug. "You're lucky as hell that you have John for a friend. I'm going to say one thing before I go out to my seat in the arena," Chalene stated, pulling away and holding him at arm's length. "So help me, if you don't go and get that girl I will call up everyone I know and tell them you're forever alone. Then, I'm gonna call up Vince and make the biggest deal out of you needing a little sense knocked into you," she threatened.

"Chale-" Punk began but she cut him off as soon as he opened his mouth.

"AND _then_, I'm going to come right back here to this locker room and bitch you out because I'm your little sister and I can do that. I want a little niece or nephew and dammit, you're going to make sure I get one!" She pouted. Unsure how to respond, Punk backed away slightly. "Good luck with your match," She finished, walking out. Well, she'd always had been a little hell raiser… her threats probably weren't empty either.

"Guess I don't have a choice," Punk sighed but a little smile quirked up the corners of his lips. He wasn't against the idea. Not at all. He'd made a mistake and he was willing to admit it. Hard to think that it'd only been two months since he's met Tober and she already had such a hold on him.

"Punk, your match is up. You need to come out to Gorilla Position," a techie announced, popping his head in the locker room. With a deep calming breath, Phil Brooks stepped out to the fans. It was now or never to prove he's a worthy champion.

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><p>Oktober was cool as a cucumber. She had decided against being at the arena, choosing instead to remain at the hotel. It was comfy lying in her PJs in her empty room. Her roommate (Nattie) wasn't there so she could do whatever she felt like. She wasn't watching Wrestlemania though she checked on it every once and awhile, instead enjoying a marathon of NCIS.<p>

So far, the only match she'd paid any attention to was the End of an Era one. It was a good match but she was unpleasantly reminded by the commentator's announcement of Punk's match. The thing with Jericho…the thing with Phil…it was all a little much.

Tober wasn't mad anymore. In fact, she understood slightly what had been in her 'mentor's' mind when he'd said those things to her. Gradually, over the past two days, she'd forgiven him. That and she'd accepted her attraction to him. It wouldn't have hurt so much in the hospital if she didn't care. She wouldn't have cried if it had been Vince or Laurinaitis who'd made the comment.

There was a knock at her door and she grumpily got up to open it. To her surprise, it was Evan standing on the other side with a sheepish grin. "I got a little lonely."

"Oh, no problem, Ev. Come on in," she said, smiling as he came in and settled on the sofa. "So whatcha been up to?" Tober asked, climbing back onto her bed. Evan smiled lightly and shrugged.

"Just some stuff. I've been clean for about three weeks now and its starting to get easier," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. Tober beamed.

"That's great, hun. Let's keep the record going," she cheered, turning the volume down on the TV since it'd been kinda loud. Evan looked over at the screen with curiosity.

"You're not watching Wrestlemania?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. It was her turn to shrug as she watched Tony DiNozzo make a fool out of himself and get head slapped by Gibbs. "Punk's match should be on in a few minutes. You know you wanna," Evan laughed. Tober blushed brilliantly but said nothing as she changed the channel.

Evan crossed his arms with satisfaction. In his mind, he was apologizing to Kofi. His ex-partner had a small thing for the Diva but Evan felt Punk was still the better match.

Tober watched with horror as Punk was tempted by Jericho. "Your father is an alcoholic. Your sister is a drug addict. C'mon, hit me!" Chris taunted in an acoustic voice. Punk had already been warned that he needed to keep his temper in check. Grabbing the chair might not have been the best idea, no matter how mad he was.

She was relieved when he tossed the chair away but as the match wore on she became worried. Before the fight and the hospital deal, Punk had mentioned a few times that his back had been bothering him. That was reinforced when he was thrown into the Walls of Jericho maneuver. "Don't you dare tap!" Tober growled at the TV, sending Evan into a round of laughter.

Punk broke out of the hold and fought back but he was slowing down. When he was sent into the second round of the WOJ, Chris began to talk. "You made her cry, y'know. Your little trainee was a mess when she got out of the hospital," he snarled. Evan sat forward with interest, taking in the now pale Diva watching as well.

Punk looked livid, spitting and clawing to get out of the uncomfortable position. "She broke down when she couldn't find you and man, I wish I'd let her go kick your ass. I guess comforting her was good enough though," Jericho continued. Punk kicked out of the WOJ and hopped up quickly. Whatever pain he was feeling must've been ignored because he started in on beating Chris down.

"You don't touch her!" Punk snarled. "You don't talk to her." He accented that with a kick to the ribs. "You don't look at her." Another kick. "And you leave my family the hell alone!" He threw himself onto Jericho and locked the blond into the Anaconda Vice. Jericho twisted, trying to get out of it but it was too much. He tapped out. The bell was rung.

"The winner of this match and still the WWE Champion, CM Punk!" the announcer said into his microphone. Evan clapped and smiled but the blank expression on Tober's face worried him. Punk had yet to leave the ring. Still in pain, he motioned to the announcer to hand him a mic. One was handed to him and he sat in the middle of the ring.

"Look, I know I just won. I'm going to get in trouble for this, I know. When do I stop myself from getting in trouble though? There's something I need to say and I think this is an appropriate time. I want to apologize to somebody important to me. I hurt her with some harsh words and I was being a jackass," he stated. The crowd had finished cheering and now sat quietly, watching the champion. "So, after getting reamed by John Cena, Kofi Kingston, and my sister Chalene, I want to say one thing. I'm sorry Twinkle Toes. Please forgive me," he apologized.

The crowd burst into a chant of 'do it, do it' and Punk gave a tiny smirk before tossing the mic aside. He groaned at the pain in his back and walked back up the ramp. Evan waited for a reaction and boy did he get one. Oktober had leapt up, tripping over her bed covers and falling on her face. "Whoa, you okay?" Evan asked, hopping up to help but she had already recovered. It was a blur as she grabbed clothes and slammed the bathroom door shut. Evan sat back down, confused but still watching the TV as she started up the shower.

Twenty minutes later and she was running out the door of the room, leaving Evan to shake his head and return to his own place. She couldn't hail a cab fast enough so she began to run. She was pretty good at it, after all. She hadn't had time to grab heels, instead settling for tennis shoes. The t-shirt and shorts she was wearing weren't the most 'attractive' outfit but they would have to do. She'd barely managed to get her hair dry and make up had been completely forgone.

With heaving breaths, she slammed open the back door to the arena, flashing her ID at the security guards. Thankfully, she had come to know them pretty well and they let her pass. She stopped by Gorilla Position as John Cena was getting ready to go out and he froze. "Oktober! What are you...? I thought you were at the hotel. Did you…_run_ here?" he asked incredulously. She was still catching her breath as he rubbed her back.

"Where…where is he?" she panted, coughing lightly. John's face broke out into a giant grin. It worked! His plan freaking worked! Oh, man. Hunter owes him fifty bucks!

"In the locker room down the left hall. I bet he's not expecting you to show up. Go get him, Tiger," he chuckled, pushing her in the right direction before going out for his match. Even if he loses tonight, somehow, he's still winning.

Punk gulped down at least two bottles of water after his match. After slipping on his new t-shirt that had just been given to him (it said WWE Champion at Wrestlemania 'CM Punk'). He was in so much pain, his back protesting every movement. Although, he couldn't help the signature smirk growing on his lips.

"A smirk like that could get a guy laid," a voice said form the doorway. Whipping his head around, he was only half startled by her being here. Sure, he hadn't thought she'd come all the way to the arena but it wasn't a bad surprise.

"Is that a statement or a promise, Twinkle Toes?" he asked, stepping closer to her as she stood her ground. Her own mischievous smirk played across her lips as she stared him down with her sparkling green eyes.

"Depends on whether or not you take up the offer," she purred but she then became serious. "You're apology is accepted but you're gonna have to get yourself back into my good graces. Oh, and I wanted to ask since I watched your match, how's your back?" she fretted, reaching a hand out to lightly place it on his side. Punk kept that smirk on his face, putting arms around her waist.

"You can nurse me back to health later. There are more important things to do right now," he chuckled, leaning his forehead against hers. It was welcomed warmly when he kissed her and things were finally starting to get back to normal. For now, at least.

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><p><strong>AN Phew, that was a lotta drama but I think the ending was well worth it! Not doom and gloom but lots of fluff! I can't wait to continue this story :)**

**Review if you would like ;)**


	11. Payback and a Throwback

**A/N I'm so pissed it's almost annoying. I was TRYING to make Jericho a little bit nicer in my story but y'know what? Screw that. I thought about having him get shot but…well, that's a little too overdramatic. **

**So instead, I'm going to use his own tricks then emasculate him in this chapter. If you're a Y2J fan, sorry but he's a major douchebag. If he would like to torture Punk in real life then I'll torture him in my story. What better way then to…nope nevermind, you'll just have to read and find out.**

**~DeAngelo'sMuse**

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><p><em>2 Weeks Later<em>

They were back to normal thankfully. No more shit with Alex Riley since that had been resolved quite quickly in a match Vince set up for Tober and Kelly against A-Ry and another Diva who willingly let Alex take defeat with a grain of salt. Wrestlemania was over with of course and Punk was still holding the title.

The only thing that was out of order was that outstanding prick, Chris Jericho. Something about his words at Wrestlemania had bothered Punk for a while now and he'd yet to ask Oktober about it. He hadn't really had a chance with the whole getting alcohol dumped all over him and coughing up blood from the bruised ribs he'd gotten via Mark Henry. He could never be more thankful for his trainee than now.

Tober felt guilty, though he tried to reassure her that he was being the asshole in the situation, and she wanted to make sure he was in full health. She'd already threatened more than once to take care of Jericho herself. Oh, and what a wonderful thing that would be.

The Diva was already on her way to Creative backstage during this week's Raw and she had the most deliciously vengeful idea. It was actually quite cunning in her mind. She may not be the most popular or the biggest in the business yet but she thought this might up that a little. Not that she was doing it for the fame. No, she was doing this for the sake of Phil Brooks' sanity. He'd been fuming about Jericho's attack after Wrestlemania for days.

It was something she had to listen to and as much as she loved to be around him, it was annoying as hell to hear him rehash it over and over. She knocked on the door to Creative, hoping they'd let her in without a scheduled appointment. Remy was all but overjoyed when she let the Diva in, closing the door quietly behind her. "Oktober! What's up?" Remy asked, beaming.

"Oh, well, you see, I have this idea and I wanted to run it by you. I'm kinda…well, I think Punk and I are a sorta…'_thing_' now and I want to do my own little segment in his feud. Wanna hear about it?" Tober asked, crossing her arms and smirking. Remy motioned to the conference table and whistled to get the attention of the Creative team.

"Alright Tober, you've got the spotlight. What's on your mind?" Remy asked, sitting down across from the red headed Diva. A beautiful and innocent grin brightened Oktober's face and she took a deep breath.

"So, I was thinking…"

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><p>He was so angry. He was so angry he might just blow up on live TV and curse everyone out. Punk paced back and forth as he waited at Gorilla Position. Oktober swaggered up towards him with a stunningly bright smile. He felt a little shiver run up at his spine, wondering exactly what trouble she'd caused to be smiling like that.<p>

"What're you grinning about?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow and lightening up for the moment. She had moments where she calmed him and moments where she set him off like a bomb. All in all it was a pretty interesting relationship. Though she'd made that ridiculously seductive comment after Wrestlemania, he'd unfortunately had to decline it and instead accept a back massage instead. Tober was quite content with that however. She didn't want him to be in pain.

His back was still bothering him tonight but he was not in so much pain that he couldn't wrap his arms around her waist and hold her close. "Oh, I'm just waiting to see what you have to say about all this. I know you'll be fine. Just…don't worry about Jericho," she whispered, patting his cheek affectionately. He leaned into the touch but her words made him slightly curious.

"Shouldn't I be worrying about him? He's gone a little wacko if you haven't been listening to me grumble for the past week. I'm not so sure I can keep my anger in check," Punk protested but she clapped a hand over his mouth.

"Listen, I've got it covered. You just go out there and defend your choices. Defend your family. He has no right to attack them and seriously, _don't worry about it_," she chuckled, leaning up and pecking his lips gently. Her words did little to sooth his anger though he was beyond crazy with wonder by the meaning behind 'I've got it covered'. His music was cued and he had to unwind himself from around her. She tipped his chin up and winked before walking off.

As he got into the ring, he grabbed the mic from the announcer angrily and stood in the middle. The fans had gone fairly quiet as they waited for him to begin speaking. He wasn't even sure where to begin. Perhaps, straight edge is the best place. He spoke about how he'd fought to keep things in his life private. "First of all, I don't think it's anybody's business to know why I'm straight edge. Second, who cares? Does anybody really care why I made that life choice? Then there's that little problem of Chris Jericho." Ah, he was getting to his point. There was a chorus of boos.

"Chris told the world that my father was an alcoholic. He made up things about my sister having a substance abuse…problem. He told the world things that I fought to keep private. But y'know, that wasn't my thought as last week I lay on the floor. I was slipping in out of consciousness trying to regain some semblance of where I are…am…was," he continued, stumbling over his words in anger. "There was only one thought in my mind as I lay there with whiskey poured all over my body and that was that I smell like my father…"

Punk squeezed his eyes shut, tears threatening to spring forth but he wouldn't allow that. These fans believed in him and so did many people in his life. This was the hardest topic he'd ever discussed and on live TV it was like confessing to a murder. "That smelled that always punched me in the face when he got home from work, when he picked me up from little league…when-" He was cut off by that stupid voice that had been taunting him for so long.

"Punk, Punk, Punk. You don't look so good, a little green around the gills. Are you still hung over, huh? I know it can be heard to get that first taste off your lips, out of your mouth. It tastes bad at first but it gets better," Jericho taunted but something was about to go _very_ wrong for the blond. He never saw it coming because she snuck up on him.

As she lifted a finger to her lips to signal everyone to feign ignorance, she held up a BJ's Wine Cooler. It was quite possibly the most feminine drinks she could find out there and she was going to get vengeance for Punk. Tober waited for everyone to settle down, Chris having thought they were cheering for him. She was satisfied when he froze as the cork was popped. He had no time to react as Oktober Samuels doused him in alcohol, effectively pulling his own trick on him.

"What's wrong, Chris? Can't take what you dish out? I thought you didn't mind having a drink every now and then. Want another?" she asked, popping open another bottle of wine and pouring it all over Jericho and his Lite Brite jacket. The shocked look he wore was enough to get the crowd laughing their asses off. "Gee, I guess this was a little much but you got what you deserved. Good luck with your match, Punk," she said to the camera, sending him a flirtatious smile. "I told you I had it covered." The screen cut off after that.

The commentators were going nuts and Punk looked completely dumbstruck. His girlfriend could kick ass, own, and take names any day of the week apparently. The crowd was still bananas as he slowly smirked, barely registering Mark Henry's entrance theme.

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><p>Kofi and Evan twirled her around backstage. "That was so <em>epic<em>!" Evan chorused and she laughed cheerfully. Punk's match wasn't over yet but she was more than willing to wait backstage with her two friends. Even Cody Rhodes, John Cena, and Teddy Long had come by to give her props on the great scene.

She'd run out right after the camera cut, not wanting to stay for Jericho's reaction. Although, she could've sworn she saw a hint of a smile on the blonde's lips before she'd left. Weird. As far as she knew, their little 'kiss' was long forgotten and he could stay away from her. Especially if Punk had any say in it.

A towel was thrown on top of her and she grinned. Said towel was yanked on gently as a pair of lips brushed her own. That damn lip ring was so distracting! "You're sweaty, take a shower," Tober chuckled, skimming her fingers down Punk's chest.

"What? You don't like my man smell?" Punk questioned, pulling her in for a hug. She buried her face in his shoulder but well; he really _did_ need a shower. "I'm heading back to the locker room. See you after and we can go out for a bit? I think your act of rebellion deserves an award."

"I think that'll work," she nodded, pushing him towards the locker room. Kofi was left to the side with Evan who was wringing his hands nervously.

"Evan, stop, you're gonna rub your hands raw dude," Kofi scolded, but Evan paid no attention. 'What's eating at you?"

"I just… I don't know. I've just got a really bad feeling about today," Evan frowned. Kofi stared at him for a moment longer before watching Oktober walk away towards the quieter rooms, cell phone in hand.

"Well, give it one more hour and it won't be 'today' anymore," Kofi murmured but Evan was lost in his own thoughts.

Oktober was talking to Kaidan on the phone who was going on and on about people at his school saying how cool she is. That and how he thought she was the coolest aunt EVER.

"Thanks, Kay. I know I'm awesome. Look, they're letting me come home tomorrow. Can you put your dad on the phone?" Tober asked, leaning against a counter in one of the backstage kitchens. Jordan got on quickly and she took a nervous breath. She was about to make a complete fool out of herself and she wasn't sure if it was even worth it.

"Tober! Hey! How are ya? Hook up with any of the guys yet? Was it Punk? Or I don't know, like Miz?" Jordan chimed and she scoffed.

"Really? Why would I do that?" she said skeptically. Now was the moment she needed to ask something. Something that even as a twenty six year old, she just felt nervous about. "Look, Jordan, I need some advice. I'm coming home tomorrow and I was thinking that maybe I might…"

"Bring Punk home too?" Jordan guessed and blood rushed to her face. "Sure, why not? It's your life. You're a big girl and you can do what you want. Besides, Kay will love that."

"Hold on, I haven't even asked yet! He could say no," I stuttered, holding the phone closer to my ear.

"But he's not," a voice whispered, startling me even more. Punk was wearing an uncharacteristically baggy pair of jeans and a hoodie that concealed most of his face. Not to mention that trademark ball cap he wears in public. "I'll pack my bags," he smiled.

"I, uh, we'll see you guys tomorrow night," Oktober said quickly before hanging up. "How long were you standing there?"

"I always liked Philly. It's gonna be great to visit again. So, late desert?" Punk asked. Well, no sense in refusing. Tober reached own and slid her hand into his. This was going well…for now. Relationships aren't her strong point. She just hoped he wouldn't betray her.

They were silent as they walked the streets to a small restaurant that was still open. "What happened to the girl who said my smirk would get me laid?"

"She probably went on break after I decided to dump wine all over somebody with a clear hatred for me. I think that filled my boldness quota for the next week," Oktober chuckled. She picked out a piece of pie from the menu and offered to split it with Punk. He refused at first, saying his diet wouldn't allow it. "Oh, c'mon. Just a little bite? It's cherry pie. How can you resist?"

"Oh, I can think of much sweeter things I'd rather be eating," he laughed and Oktober dropped her fork. Well, that innuendo was certainly unexpected.

"Uh…holy hell. I don't have a response to that," she breathed, a hint of a smile on her lips.

"That's okay, I usually leave people speechless," Punk assured her, putting his scowl back on only to drop it moments later.

"Well, if it ain't little Miss Bee in her Britches," a drunken man snorted from a table near them. He was looking directly at Oktober and his face was just so damn familiar. "Don't suppose you know me but your boyfriend does."

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><p><strong>AN I only got one review on the last chapter :/ It was a little discouraging but I'm still going to keep posting.**

**-DeAngelo'sMuse**


	12. Family Matters

**A/N So, lots of drama last time. Interesting people, new problems, and honestly, I'm wondering where in the hell did my favorite Boy Scout, John Cena, go?**

**[My favorite line from last chapter was Punk's little innuendo at the end. I can't stop laughing at it XD]**

**Enjoy ;)**

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><p>"Brooks, long time, no see. How've you been?" The scraggily, warmly smiling man asked. He looked pretty young if Oktober guessed correctly. The crease of worry that had wrinkled Punk's brows instantly vanished and he stood up to shake hands with the man.<p>

"Colt Cabana! Dude, Scotty, how've _you_ been?" Punk laughed, carefree. Oktober watched their friendly interaction with curiosity. Who's Colt Cabana? She raised an eyebrow at 'Scotty' and he smirked.

"Great stunt on the show," he complimented and Tober flushed. Standing up clumsily, she shook his hand. Cabana glanced at Punk with a smirk before lifting her hand to his lips for a brief kiss. "She's nice, Phil."

"Oh, um, I'm Oktober Samuels. Nice to meet you…" she trailed off awkwardly, unsure how to address him. Scott chuckled and dropped her hand gently.

"Scott Goldman or Colt Cabana. Either one's fine." Punk slunk an arm around her waist that didn't go unnoticed by Mr. Cabana. "Oh, c'mon Punk. No need to be so possessive. I'm not going to bite her," he laughed, waggling his eyebrows suggestively but keeping that good natured grin on his lips. Tober smiled, the happy atmosphere infectious.

"I'm guessing you're not really from around here," Tober giggled. "If Phil's eyes got any bigger than they'd pop outta his head," she chuckled, winking at Punk. His lips curled into a smirk as he scratched the back of his neck.

"No, he's from Minnesota. We met back when we wrestled in Steel Domain. Man, how long ago was that?" Punk grinned and Cabana mirrored it. Seeing Punk happy made Tober at ease. With all the drama recently she'd been worried for everyone's sanity. Thankfully, Wrestlemania was done over. Only problem now is…Extreme Rules.

Oktober had been thinking about that all day. Even before tonight's little tryst where she messed with Chris. For one, she wasn't too worried about Punk. He's being put into a Chicago style street fight. No, she wasn't worried about that. She was worried about her own match versus Beth.

Two months in and she's going to be in a no disqualification match against the one and only Glamazon. Just the thought made her stomach turn. Her mind had trailed off as she worried and Punk was brushing his nose into her hair. "Hey, ready to go back?" he asked, kissing her forehead.

"Where oh where has my sarcastic quick witted mentor gone? He's been replaced with somebody much more in touch with his feminine side," Tober grinned, sticking her tongue out at Punk and waving to Colt Cabana.

Their arrival back to the hotel was met with some rather embarrassing catcalls. John **(Johnny is back ^_^) **sent her a flirtatious grin which only grew when Punk scowled. "That scowl is so god damn adorable," Tober said, poking Punk's cheek.

Suddenly, she was wrenched away from his side and into the arms of one Mr. Lite Brite. No sooner had she been pulled in, he was holding her at arms length with a vicious glare. "_You_! Did you think you could get away with that fucking stunt earlier?" Oktober gaped.

"I, um, uh, I…" she stuttered, recoiling from his glowering gaze. Only when it turned into a Jericho smirk did she register that he was joking. He wasn't so bad when he wasn't being a douchebag.

"Kidding! That was pretty good," Chris admitted, patting her on the shoulder briefly before Punk stalked over. "Brooks. You've got yourself a badass girlfriend."

"Yeah, one that you're gonna back the fuck away from," Punk growled, crossing his arms over his chest. Jericho grinned and backed up a step, raising his hand in defense.

"Alright, well, don't come crying when she leaves you for me. We already kissed once when you neglected to take care of her," Chris chuckled and Tober blanched. Gross! Punk bristled but quickly grabbed Tober's wrist, dragging her off in another direction. When they turned a corner, Oktober spun him around to face her.

"Calm down." She stared him down as he gritted his teeth. The muscles in his arms flexed and tensed. "Philip Jack Brooks, calm the hell down. What's gotten into you? It's one A.M. for fuck's sake. How can you possibly have energy to get pissed?"

"I'm fine, Twinkle Toes," he spat, turning his head away and obscuring his hazel eyes. "You should go to bed." Oktober frowned and worried. The more he gets worked up over Jericho, the more likely he is to get distracted during his Extreme Rules match.

"With you?" she asked, feigning innocence and biting her lip. Oh, how she wields power over him. She felt a sense of self righteousness inside as his eyes widened.

"Good one, hun, but you've got to get up early for practice. I get to sleep in," he smirked and her smile fell. That was a little disappointing. She wasn't trying to just sleep with him, she did have feelings for him besides lust, but she was shutdown pretty quick…

"Right, yeah, you're right," she agreed awkwardly. Punk smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. He didn't pull her close like he'd done so often. No kiss. Nothing. Moments later he had breezed off towards his hotel room, leaving her in the dust. This warranted a call to Cecilia, at least she'd understand what's going on. Too bad it was way too late to call. Guess it would have to wait until morning.

* * *

><p>"Seriously? That's why he's acting so weird?" Oktober growled, setting down her cup of coffee. She'd joined John on his way to a café, hoping to get some answers. She didn't expect John's blunt replies, however.<p>

"Look, I know it's stupid but it's something you guys have got to talk about. Until you explain that that kiss with Chris was nothing, Punk's gonna be stubborn about it," John grimaced, sipping his own coffee. He had his hood up in hopes most people wouldn't chase after him. It was working so far.

"For goodness sake, it was before we were 'together'. _Jericho_ initiated it. I was emotionally spent. I hope he gets over it before we leave for my home tonight," Tober sighed, frustration building. John was frowning, staring into his cup of coffee. "So help me, if he so much as complains once, I'm going to make sure he's celibate for the rest of his goddamn life!"

"Okay, I _really_ did not need to know that…" John snorted, shaking his head in disgust. "Give me a call when you get back to Philly, alright?" Oktober nodded and with a sigh, stood up to return to the hotel. She hoped upon hope that Punk would get over his insecurities and be ready to go.

Thankfully, he had his bags packed with a grouchy smile on his face. "Time to go." His voice screamed annoyance and Oktober was getting testy herself. They didn't speak on the way to the airport. No sounds were heard as they went through security though Tober did laugh to herself when his lip ring set off the metal detector.

The silence continued as they sat in their seats. Oktober wasn't mad anymore. In fact, she found his jealous act amusing. Maybe his old attitude would return and she'd get to indulge in their beloved verbal challenges.

She pulled out a book she'd brought along, trying to distract herself. The longer she pretends to gives him the cold shoulder, the funnier it will be when he realizes it. Every once and awhile he'd glance over. She'd glance away and hide a smile.

When they arrived in Philly, he finally spoke. "Hey, I'm sorry," he apologized and she burst out laughing. After wiping away some tears, she kissed him on the cheek.

"I wasn't mad, you were just pouting," she tsked. Punk nodded as if he'd been enlightened of a situation that needed addressing.

"Oh, well, in that case, you fooled me. Lead the way, Twinkle Toes," Punk obliged, motioning for her to walk ahead to the cab they'd flagged down. She shrugged and moved forward, only to screech when he swatted her backside. "Okay, I'm better now," he grinned, strolling into the cab.

Cecilia was ecstatic to see them when they arrived at the house. They'd dropped their stuff at Tober's apartment but soon realized the problem with not visiting. Kaidan can be quite vindictive when he's anxious. If the voicemail on Tober's answering machine, threatening estrangement if they didn't show, wasn't enough; Kaidan's face now sure made up for it. "You're late," he snapped and Oktober rolled her eyes.

"Oh, yes, Kay. I'm completely out of line for taking my time to come home. How dare I keep you from your beloved CM Punk," she deadpanned. Kaidan smirked and bumped fists with her. "Thank you. That's much better."

"So, Tober, I think we need to talk," Cecilia stressed, tugging on her arm. Punk shot her a smile that assured her he'd be fine. Giving up on resisting, she followed Cecilia into the office where they could have some privacy. "Phew, I need a break from the boys sometimes."

"Is everything alright…?" Tober asked, sitting in the swiveling office chair. Cecilia nervously shifted on her feet. "CeCe, what's going on?" A grin and a blush passed over the older woman's face.

"Um, actually, I thought I'd tell you this first but, um, I'm pregnant again," Cecilia mumbled, biting her lip to hide a smile. Tober hopped up and hugged her sister in law tightly. "I haven't told Jordan or Kaidan yet."

"They're going to be thrilled! Don't worry about it!" Tober grinned, dragging Cecilia out to the main family room. "Hey, we're in time for dinner right? Mind if we join CeCe?" Tober didn't wait for an answer before helping out with making food. "We're eating outside, picnic style. Jordan, go start up the grill. It's a special occasion!"

Punk pulled her aside as she worked in the kitchen wrapping a tattooed arm around her slender waist. "So, what's the celebration for?" he asked and Oktober's mood brightened significantly. She leaned in so that her lips were against his ear.

A shudder ran down his spine as she turned in his arms. "I'm not telling," she giggled, kissing his cheek and continuing to cut up some fruit for a salad. "Hope you like an all American cook out!"

* * *

><p>By the time they got back to the apartment, both the stars were exhausted. Jordan had been elated by the news but Kaidan was a little less thrilled. After a talking to by Tober, he warmed up to the idea. A game of touch football was held and before they knew it, time had flown away.<p>

"It feels so weird," Punk yawned, stretching out on Tober's sofa. She eyed him curiously, curled up in the chair to his right watching TV. He looked so…normal (?) lying there with his arms behind his head.

"What does? The small family thing?" she asked, turning back to the ghost show she'd been watching.

"Yeah, I haven't done anything like that in so long. It kinda makes me miss my family…" he added, closing his eyes sleepily. She wondered how long it'd been since he saw any of his family. It's one of those topics you have to approach carefully.

Maybe she could do something about it though. She flipped off the TV and shook him back awake. "Hey, let's go to bed," she suggested. He smirked and pulled her down to lay on top of him.

"We could stay right here," he sighed but she wiggled out of his grip easily.

"Nuh uh, bed. I've missed my pillow long enough," she stated. He shrugged and ambled off to the bedroom. "I'll be there in a minute."

She grabbed her phone from her bag, searching out John's number. Dialing quickly, she prayed he'd pick up. "Hello?"

"John, hey, what can you tell me about Punk's family?"

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><p><strong>AN I bet y'all thought the mystery person was bad ;) I figured that Punk could use a real friend and who better than Colt Cabana? **

**Oh, and yeah, I'm going to include his sister (well, I already have…), mom, dad and for anybody who didn't know, his brother Mike.**

**Review if you would like to :)**


	13. Turmoil

**A/N Alrighty, glad everyone likes the idea for this story! Thanks for the reviews, they help with a writer's self-esteem, y'know?**

**Anyone ever notice that, aside from making himself seem badass, Punk really is just like a rebellious teen? (Comic books: check, snarky attitude: check, egotistical: CHECK, loves violence:...check. Anything missing?)**

**~Enjoy**

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><p>"This is awkward," John muttered. Oktober rolled her eyes and held the phone a little closer. "Well, uh, his sister came to visit him at Wrestlemania… Uh his mom…um…"<p>

"You don't have any helpful information do you?" Tober sighed and John paused on the other end. He didn't feel like it was quite a good idea to be revealing this. He wanted them together and that was his mission. It's been accomplished. Can't they work it out by themselves?

"No. Not really. Look, I gotta go...do something…" John coughed and Tober scowled.

"That was a smooth one. Fine, go do whatever. I bet I can get info outta Kaidan anyways," she replied. John was thankful to be off the line but she definitely gave him an idea. What better way to mediate their relationship than to have them talk?

Oktober made her way to bed, settling for sweats and a tank top. She highly doubted Punk would give a flying fuck what she wore. He didn't. No, he instead was already asleep. A certainly rare thing for the insomniac. Maybe it was the bed. "It is a damn comfy bed," Tober mused to herself, lying down with her back to his chest.

Tattooed arms snaked around her waist and held her snuggly. She chose to say nothing and just enjoy the embrace. It seemed odd to have this _affection_ from a usually distant man. He's called a cynical bastard for a reason.

If only she understood that reason. No need to pick apart his thoughts and actions but one did wonder how he got to be such an ass. His father _was_ an alcoholic, he'd told her when the storyline first started. But even then, he assured that he'd gotten over it. Nothing like that bothered him now.

But if that doesn't bother him, why has he been so…so _uptight_. If it didn't bother him, then why could Jericho get under his skin so easily? Chris wouldn't know…would he…? She wiped that thought from her mind. That's not somewhere she needs to be. Oktober Samuels and Chris Jericho, they don't mix.

No, she'd find out on her own. But for now it was time to get some much needed rest. She had some research to do when she got up. Not mention they only had today and tomorrow off before Extreme Rules this weekend. She ignored the bout of nerves and nausea that turned her stomach at the thought. Beth is going to _kill_ her.

Unless she holds her own. Maybe hitting the gym with one of the guys would help? She doubted Punk would fight her fair and square so maybe one of the others? John wouldn't do it. Ugh she needs to just sleep!

* * *

><p>"No." Tober groaned and pouted, pulling out every trick in the book. Something had to work.<p>

"Please Kofi! I need to be ready for this weekend and Punk's not gonna fight me. _Please_!" Tober begged, vaguely reminded of her childhood. She _did_ always get what she wanted.

"I'm not going to fight you. Get one of the girls to do it. You don't even need to train. You'll be fine," Kofi protested. He wasn't about to go and hit Punk's girl. Punk would go off the deep end and Tober doesn't know what she's getting into.

"Uh, no, I _won't. _Are you seriously going to let a poor innocent women get beaten to a pulp because she couldn't get some real training in?" Tober pleaded and Kofi softened slightly. He'd been a little harsh, perhaps. Maybe he could just go easy on her. Let her bounce a few moves off and call it a day.

"I wouldn't call Beth innocent." Tober cocked her head to the side. Oh, what a familiar voice. One that is about to be silenced should he choose the wrong words.

"Chris, get out of here, man," Kofi warned. This could go south like a wildfire; fast and dangerous. Jericho stared the young Jamaican down with a spiteful smirk. "Alright, I warned you. When Punk get's pissed I ain't gonna be here to witness it." Jericho let out a chuckle while Tober glared with irritation. Kofi was beginning to feel slightly awkward as the silence wore on. He'd walk away, but not too far from the gym so he could keep an eye on the two.

"Cat got your tongue, Y2J?" Oktober asked when Kofi was out of earshot. He smirked further, keeping quiet. Oh, he'd convince her to take him up on the offer. Dangle a prize in front of her face and she'll go for the bait.

He held out a hand a motioned towards the ring that had been in the gym the whole time. This hotel seemed to have everything! She eyed him suspiciously and tugged off her t-shirt. Her gear underneath was newly designed and tailored specifically to her gimmick. Modest, she wasn't much for the revealing factor, but it did her body justice. She wasn't sure if she was flattered or embarrassed when Chris couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"Well, let's start. Would you like to run through your more major moves or defense?" Chris began, voice cool and collected. Tober felt uneasy but since they'd gotten along fairly well recently she allowed him to hang around. Her instincts told her this was unusual but for now she'd tread carefully.

"How about we go with defense? Just some back and forth stuff?" she suggested. Chris nodded stoically and motioned for her to come at him. Launching herself forward, she threw a punch that he quickly deflected and began to fire back. She blocked the best she could but when he went for a European uppercut, it connected.

Stumbling back a little, she rubbed her chin. Chris looked legitimately concerned for a moment but it was lost when she flew back and landed a solid kick to his gut. "So Chris, tell me, why this little obsession with Mr. CM Punk?" She asked, dodging a light punch. He followed up with a kick that swept her off her feet.

"Cut the crap, hun. What do you want to know?" Jericho interjected. Now things were starting to go his way. Give her a little information and he takes advantage. Not such a big deal. He weakens her and he get's his title. Fair trade if he dare say so himself. His breath was a little quick but it was worth it at the moment. She wasn't hard on the eyes, if you catch the drift.

"What a way with words, Mr. Jericho," she muttered; pulling a couple of clotheslines that barely affected him. That startled her and she lost her momentum, falling to one of his moves. As she hit the mat, he dropped down into a cover. Tober stared up at him, glowering. "Why his family?"

Jericho frowned, his expression changing to that of confusion. "It's just a storyline…" Chris backed up and allowed her space. She sat up and the fire in her eyes lead her on. Jericho hopped back on his feet and scrambled backwards.

"Isn't that a bit personal? If I suddenly started saying stupid shit about your mom or brother or something, would you be pissed? I don't care if he approved it. _You_ took it too far." Jericho dodged an incoming blow to the face, blue eyes startled and unfocused.

"It's my job, sweetheart. We trash talk each other and solve it with hitting. The board suggested the story, Punk agreed." Tober froze. Chris eyes her wearily as he leaned against one of the ropes. "I don't think you need anymore practice."

"Where's his father? Do you know?" Tober crossed her arms over her chest. Chris looked anywhere but at her.

"Thought you said that was too 'personal'," he snorted and she stepped forward until they were inches apart. He reached a hand out; to pull her closer or push her away was something he was debating. A door slammed open and he jumped back from their close proximity. Oktober stood exactly where he left her… stare unwavering. He half expected Punk to jump him from behind since his back was to the door.

Oktober didn't seem fazed as John Laurenaitus popped up in front of her and her sparring partner. "Ms. Samuels, so glad to see you!" 'Big Johnny' greeted. She narrowed her eyes and subconsciously took a step closer to Chris. She may not like Jericho but he was a hell of a lot better than this prick. "I couldn't help but overhear you two talking. Anything I can help with?"

Laurenaitus' grin was unnerving. The way he looked her up and down sent chills down Tober's back. The washed out 'suck ass' ex-wrestler placed a hand on her shoulder. Something in her expression, disgust or maybe even astonishment that he'd touch her, made Chris react. He yanked the offending hand off Tober's shoulder and pushed her back. She stumbled and bumped against the turnbuckle.

A second slam of the door held Punk for real. He stormed up into the ring, took one look at the three, and hauled Oktober to her feet. "Are you okay?" he asked, voice softer than his cold as ice expression.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Chris hel-" he cut her off by walking up to the two others.

"Big Johnny," he laughed, throwing his hands up with cheer. "Scram." Laurenaitus frowned but it looked no different than his other facial expressions. He made no move to leave until Punk raised his fist in warning.

Tober had moved closer to the two humongous egos center stage. Punk stepped in front of her and cut off her line of path. "Go get lunch." It wasn't a suggestion.

"Excuse me? Isn't that a bit rude to say to a lady?" Jericho interjected and Punk turned on him icily. "Show a little respect, Punk," Chris smirked. Phil raised his fist and threw it at Jericho with ease. It connected but the smirk on Jericho's face was still there. Oktober stumbled backwards into Chris' arms with a hand over her jaw. Her eyes were clenched as hard as her teeth, refusing to let tears spring forth.

"I-what the…?" Punk stuttered, reaching forward to catch her. Chris drew her away from him and the intensity of his concern for the young lady was…frankly intimidating. Tober sucked up her courage and pushed away from Y2J. Punk would thank her later for not allowing that to happen. He'd just have to listen to her justification. "Oktober…why did…what the hell? That was reckless," he stated. Staggering back to her feet, she looked at both of them.

"I guess when you're being unreasonable, people get hurt," she whispered, staring at each of them in turn. She held a hand to her cheek and hopped out of the ring. With one last lingering glance at Punk, she made her way out of the gym.

Kofi was still in shock. What in the hell had he just seen? He waited for Tober to walk out before snagging her arm. "What the hell was that? Are you okay? Your face is swelling. You need to go see the doctor."

"Kofi," she whispered. He shut up immediately and waited for her to continue. "Let's…let's just go get lunch."

"Uh, sure. Lunch it is. I know a great place just a couple blocks away," Kofi agreed. Tober tugged on the sweats and tee she'd had earlier, hair up in a messy sweaty bun. She looked, felt, and probably smelled like hell. She latched onto Kofi's arm and they were on their way, leaving a very shocked pair of men in the gym.

* * *

><p><strong>AN Woo! I'm done! Took longer than usual :/ Love tug-o-war or a love triangle? What do y'all think?**

**Review if you wish~**


	14. Extreme Rules

Chap 14

**A/N Good lord, 14 chapters already? I'm impressed with my attention span…**

**I own nothing, especially the stars as well as Charles Robinson who is my favorite of all the 'refs'.**

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><p><em>EXTREME RULES<em>

"Are you sure you're alright to compete tonight?" Kofi worried. Oktober rolled her eyes languidly, holding back an irritated sigh. She adored Kofi but this was honestly getting on her last nerve. Punk was nowhere to be seen and her match against Beth was up next. Chris, however, _had_ come to wish her luck a few moments ago.

"Want me to punch you to see if my fist still works? She offered and Kofi chuckled good-naturedly. "That's what I thought." A stagehand approached her from the doorway of the monitor room. "Time to go? I thought I had twenty more minutes before I have to be at Gorilla."

"Actually, Ms. Samuels, I have something for you," the techie answered. He held out a single deep rouge red rose in full bloom as well as a crisp white envelope. "It's not from me, Ma'am," he insisted defensively when Tober and Kofi eyed him curiously. He backed out of the room as quickly as possible, stopping only to tell her she had fifteen minutes left.

"Um, well, okay?" Tober handed the rose to Kofi gently, who held it with care. The envelope was stiff and a cursive 'O.S.' was handwritten on the back. "Should I be worried about crazy fans or, like, anthrax?"

"I don't think anybody is trying to kill you with a love note. Just open it," Kofi ushered and she cocked an eyebrow.

"Gosh, okay, don't get your Paradise Panties in a twist," she laughed. Sliding a fingernail under the tab, she broke open the seal on the letter. Inside was a thick card with the same handwriting scrawled across it neatly.

_Tomorrow night. 7:30. At the front lobby of the hotel. Wear a dress._

_Good luck._

Tober flipped the card over and looked for any indication of who the writer was. The stagehand called out the five minute warning and she felt a blush creeping over her cheeks. Did she even have a dress with her…? She'd have to go out and buy one.

"Good luck out there, Tober," Kofi said, ruffling her now pulled up hair. With determination, she stepped towards the Gorilla position where the stagehands waited to cue her music. With a nod of the head, Killswitch Engage flooded the arena.

* * *

><p>"The following contest set for one fall is a Last Man Standing match," boomed out the announcer. Oktober looked across the ring at Beth who was watching her intently. Both divas held a lightly confused look since this was only supposed to be a simple No Disqualification match. Surprise, surprise. The referee, Charles Robinson, told them both how long they had. A limit of thirty minutes. Oktober is set to win but Beth can be unpredictable and doesn't mind bending the rules.<p>

The bell rung and Beth lunged at her, trying to sweep Tober's legs out from under her. Tober hopped up but wasn't fast enough to avoid the fist that connected with her cheek. Gritting her teeth, she threw her leg out in an attempt to kick Beth in the gut. It worked, buying her some time so she could back up to the ropes of the ring.

The Glamazon stuck a foot out and tripped the younger Diva, causing her to fall and slam her head on the mat. Stumbling, Oktober hopped up and shook the cobwebs from her mind. Now is not the time to get unfocused. She'd been hit harder so not a big deal.

"Give up, Samuels, you're not ready for this," Beth challenged, throwing a fist out at Tober. Unfortunately for the Glamazon, she didn't see the reversal coming. Oktober caught it and slammed her knee into Beth's stomach. Tober was beginning to slow and the practice with Chris came back to mind.

"_I don't think you need anymore practice."_ She snorted and made a note to never listen to Chris again. Crazy bastard is gonna get her beaten to a pulp. The distraction cost her and Beth tossed her out of the ring. The concrete slammed against Tober's back and she arched her spine in pain.

"C'mon, Oktober. You can do this."

"She's nothing. Take the Glamazon out."

"You're awesome! Don't give up!"

The fans at ringside shouted to her but they sounded so far away. Beth slid out of the ring and Tober saw her approaching. She prepared herself to break out of whatever hold Beth would use. The Glamazon wrapped her hands around Tober's ankles and dragged her back towards the ring. Only when they were close to the apron did Tober roll herself into a sitting position and kick Beth to escape the hold.

"Not ready, Beth? Are you sure?" Tober laughed and she slapped Beth's face. The Glamazon spat at her and Tober backed away. Cruel was one thing she'd never been. She'd pushed things a little too far, maybe. She helped Beth up, in a true attempt to be nice but of course, nobody is nice during a match. The Glamazon yanked on her wrist and sent Tober flying into the barricade. The ref had been counting them for five seconds now.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but I'm not walking out of here a loser. Your boyfriend can tell you how ruthless I can be," Beth chuckled, hauling Tober up and tossing her into the ring. The younger diva was still too winded to get up but she was able to trip Beth when she entered the ring. Everything hurt. She wished she'd been run over by a Mack truck. Probably wouldn't feel this bad.

Beth Phoenix's words didn't register until moments later when Oktober could finally stand on shaking legs. "What's that supposed to mean?" Beth snickered and went for the Glamslam. Tober wiggled out and caught Beth in a backbreaker, instantly rolling in on herself from the effort.

"Let's just say we have a history," Beth snarled, rolling away from the young diva and using the ropes for leverage. She pressed her foot down on Tober's airway and laughed. The crowd went nuts as Tober struggled unceremoniously to free herself. "What's wrong? I thought your practice with Chris helped prepare you for this?"

"It did," Tober yelled, bringing a knee up to knock Beth off. She hopped up and massaged her throat as she bounced off the ropes. She caught Beth on her way back and spun her into a suplex that left the Glamazon on the ground, stunned.

"You bring Punk up again and I will _end_ you," Tober hissed, picking up Beth's leg and slamming her foot into the notch behind the knee. "Mess with me again and I will fuck you up." She repeated the methodical practice on the other leg. "And if you ever try to put me in a bad situation based on Chris Jericho's actions, I will end you both."

Chris Robinson, the ref, watching the process with morbid curiosity. "Ladies, seven minutes left." Both women looked at him seething with rage and he backed up a little. He'd really rather be mediating a match between two of the boys. They were a little easier to stop. "Ms. Samuels, please watch your language."

"Sorry, got a little worked up there," Tober apologized, cracking her first smile of the night. She banged Beth's head against the mat and rolled her into a submission hold. The Glamazon kicked out but not in time to dodge the incoming elbow drop. Tober calculated her next move until she realized Beth wasn't going to get back up. She walked around the ring and urged fans to cheer.

"One…"

Tober glanced briefly at the ref as he began the knockout count. She looked out among the crowd and the adrenaline flowed.

"Two…"

A fan waved and she hopped out of the ring, walking to the barricade. She hugged the young boy who would probably have a wet dream about it later. She shrugged that thought off. At least she's hot…

"Seven…"

She high tailed it back into the ring and stood up on the ropes, listening to the crowd cheer her on.

"Nine!"

One look at Beth and Tober knew she wouldn't be getting back up. The blonde Diva wasn't out cold. She was of course playing it up for the company but all the stars know how hard it is to get up after such a beating.

"Ten!"

"And the winner is…Oktober Samuels!" The announcer cheered, hopping into the ring to hold her hand up as well as Ref Robinson. Tober felt a sense of relief flood her senses and overly abused muscles. At least the match was over. She could take a nice hot shower and eat a nice hot meal.

* * *

><p>"Sweet job out there, kiddo," Chris complemented, ruffling Tober's sweaty hair as she came backstage. She smirked and noticed his ring attire.<p>

"Your match with Punk is next?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow. Jericho shrugged and turned on his light bright jacket. "Where is he?"

"Avoiding you," Chris laughed. "A chick who's willing to take his punch to protect his enemy. I'm sure he's worked up right about now," he continued. Tober scowled and stepped back from him.

"I stopped it because he'd regret it later. I wasn't protecting you," she snarled and Chris cocked his head to the side. What an interesting development. So she'd yet to explain to Punk her reasoning? "Where is he?"

"Locker room," he said, turning to leave. "Oh, and if I were you, I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. It sure looked like you were protecting me." Tober stared at the doorway where he'd just been standing. Maybe he was right… Shaking away that thought, she headed towards the men's locker room. She didn't bother knocking, instead just walking in.

Some of the guys were startled, being in various stages of undress but she ignored them and made a beeline for one Straight Edge Savior. He looked up, having just finished putting his boots on. "Oktober? Congrat-"

"Shut up." His mouth fell open but he closed it quickly. "A dress? _Really?_ Where exactly are we going that I need to wear a dress?" she demanded and he laughed.

"Oh, Twinkle Toes, you catch on fast. Yes, a dress, and no, I'm not telling you. Congrats on the win, you deserved it," Punk said, straightening up and patting her on the shoulder.

"Speaking of things deserved," Tober murmured. She clocked him right in the jaw and there was a collective gasp from the rest of the locker room. "That's for being an ass and not coming to apologize." Punk rubbed his face and smirked.

"Okay, I deserved that one," he admitted and patted his cheek. "Everything's in working order thankfully." Tober shook her head and stood on her tiptoes.

"You're lucky that smirk works on me," she chuckled and kissed him quickly. "Go win against Lite Brite. He's not expecting you to be in good shape." With out further ado (I love saying that), she strutted back out of the locker room and promptly made her way to the women's showers. Nothing else to do except go out to the arena and sneak into the seats by his sister. Punk would never expect it.

Tober pulled the hood of her sweatshirt up as she moved past all the fans. She came to a stop beside Chalene and tapped the woman on the shoulder. "Chalene?" she questioned and the woman turned around with surprise. "Hi, I'm Oktober Samuels," Tober introduced.

"Oh, hun, I know who you are. Great match, by the way," she complimented, scooting over so Tober could talk to her. "So, I hear you and my brother have a 'thing' going on?"

"Well, at the moment I'm not sure what it is. No offense, but he's stubborn as the day is long," Tober said, biting her lip. Chalene laughed, a warm kind sound.

"Yeah, he always was. Look, don't take his grumpy attitude too seriously. He's all mush and romance on the inside. Y'know, past all the comic books and workouts," she chuckled. 'Break the Walls Down' blared like a siren through the arena and Tober face palmed. Talk about obnoxious with that stupid Lite Brite jacket. Chris walked down and approached Chalene from the other side of the barriers.

"Well, if it isn't Phil's drug addict sister?" Chris sneered and Chalene held back a smile. Tober covered her face a little more to conceal herself from Jericho.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. Douchebag McGee?" Chalene replied and Tober broke into laughter. Chris eyed her and his smirk disappeared quickly. Punk's music came on and Y2J hopped into the ring, abandoning his satire towards Chalene.

"This is gonna be good," Chalene grinned and Tober nodded. She knew the set outcome thanks to Kofi but she still wondered exactly how it would go down. However this ends up, sets things up for Over the Limit. Hopefully, neither would get seriously injured.

"Yeah, I hope so," Tober mumbled, keeping her eyes on Punk. He sent her a wink and she bit her lip. Punk may be ready to go but Chris is out for more than a win.

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><p><strong>AN I'm purposefully ignoring my other stories. Sorry to all who are waiting for their updates.**

**Anyways, the whole Beth Vs Tober thing, way harder to write than you would think…**

**Well, off to do other writing.**


	15. Family Ties Us Together

**A/N Thank you for all the reviews and thank you to all who took the time to read the story up until now. I hope it has been worth your time.**

**Disclaimer: I own neither the WWE and it's employees nor Frank Sinatra.**

**~Enjoy**

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><p>"Is that better?" Oktober asked, working her fingers into the shoulder of the Straight Edge Champion. He won against Chris, not something easy, and that was after some serious beatings. Ever since last night he'd been in serious pain. Sure, he didn't actually<em> say<em> so but it was fairly obvious. She made sure to be gentle but firm, no need to injure him further. "Phil?"

They were in his hotel room, Punk lying on his bed facedown as she sat on his waist. When there was no reply, she sat back and laughed quietly. She must've put him to sleep. "What's so funny?" Startled by his voice, she wobbled and fell backwards, nearly tumbling off the bed. He rolled over and sat up, pulling her back up. "Whoops."

"Yeah, whoops," Tober scowled, smiling seconds later. "I'm going to my room, I gotta shower before we leave," she continued, standing up and moving towards the door. Tugged back by her wrist, she grinned beautifully as Punk dipped her low into a kiss. Who says he can't be romantic on occasion. Not that he's not but well, most think he's a total douchebag... Well, most of the time he is but that's beside the point.

"It can wait, we're not the only ones going anyways," he mumbled, pulling her back up and releasing her. She cocked an eyebrow in question. Well, this was news.

"We're not? Please, tell me who's joining us?" she replied neutrally. He shook his head.

"Oh, but that would ruin the surprise," he chuckled and she rolled her eyes. "We're going out to dinner and there might, possibly, if I'm up to it, maybe be some dancing." He smirked as her eyes lit up with a wicked fire. Well, she'd like the rest of the surprise as well.

"I didn't realize you dance," she snickered and he shrugged, sitting back down on the bed.

"Well, I wouldn't say I'm as great as Chris but I can bust a few moves," Punk replied, lying back again. Tober sat down as well and looked at him sideways.

"We really _should_ be getting ready," she smirked and he closed his eyes, groaning. "C'mon lazy bones, time to get up." She laid back and rested her head on his chest, tracing her fingers over his clothed stomach. His abs tightened at the light ticklish sensation and she got the perfect idea. He groaned and flung an arm over his face to block out light. "Hey, I was thinking," she began again.

"That's never a good thing."

"Shut up, I was _thinking_ that I hate wasting water. I mean, global warming and stuff is such an issue," she explained. Punk uncovered his face a cocked one eye open at her. "Well, I mean, I don't wanna deprive any fish in the ocean of their water so why not share a shower?"

"That is the lamest try at seduction ever," Punk chuckled, sitting up and looking at her. She smirked and nodded, accepting his opinion. Well, that could be easily changed anyways. Standing up, she walked towards his room's bathroom. As she sauntered over, she dropped her clothes along the way.

"Alright, if you don't want to join me, then I'll just start without you," she smirked, letting her hair fall out of the ponytail she'd been keeping it in. With one last grin, she closed the bathroom door on a frozen Philip Brooks. He sat there momentarily, brain processing before he hopped up and made it to the bathroom.

"I don't believe I ever said no."

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><p>"I'm so glad Phil got all of you guys here," Tober smiled, hugging her family. She and Punk had arrived at the appointed restaurant, albeit a little tired but excited, and low and behold-Tober's family was there; <em>all<em> of them. "Mom, Dad, I can't believe you came," she murmured, looking at them with admiration.

"It took a lot of convincing, Oktober, but you've got a good man here," her mother, Angela, admitted, patting Punk's arm gently. "Don't let him go." Tober blushed but she wasn't about to admit out loud that she would _never_. Looking over to Kaidan and his parents, she grinned and walked over. Punk stayed and chatted with her parents, allowing her the freedom to talk with her closer family.

"Oh, Tober, you look stunning," Cecilia cheered, hugging the girl clothes before taking a gander at her dress. It was simple, mid thigh length, and the purest green. It definitely brought our favorite Diva's eyes out. Her red hair, such a contrast, was up in a chignon, perfect for the occasion. "He's so good for you."

"Yeah, when he's not being a pain in the ass. You look beautiful as well, Ms. I'm having another boy," Oktober replied, looking her sister-in-law up and down. Three months in and she still looked stunning. Glancing to Jordan, she smiled crookedly at her brother. "How've you been?"

"A-Ok sis, I'm capable of living on my own and you know that," he assured. She raised an eyebrow skeptically and he sighed. "Ok, fine, I can live perfectly on my own with Cecilia's help. Don't look at me like that ya little brat," he grinned, pulling her into a hug. "Congrats on your win last night."

"Tober." Said Diva looked over to her favorite thirteen year old (soon to be fourteen) and pulled the shorty into a hug.

"Are you happy, Kay? You were right," she grumbled and he grinned. She could swear that kid was getting more and more like her everyday. "Don't say anything but I've got a little surprise of my own." She winked at her nephew and returned to her date. She turned him to look at her and gave him a chaste kiss. "Thank you, this means everything to me."

"Of course, Twinkle Toes," he smiled. The sparkle of mischief in her eyes tipped him off and he raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "What are you planning?"

"Whatever do you mean? You think an innocent young lady like me would dare to pull one over on the amazing CM Punk? I never knew you thought so lowly of me, Philip," she feigned innocence and hurt, placing a hand over her heart.

"You've already proved how innocent you're _not_, hun, and now I know you're planning something," he said, shrugging and ignoring the bad feeling he had. "Time to eat." When all were seated, the waitress came by with high class menus and offered some wine. The star couple turned it down but it was certainly enjoyed by the rest of the adults.

"Miss Samuels, you're other guests will arrive momentarily," the manager said when he walked by. He smiled warmly at her and she grinned. Punk looked over to her and she put on her best innocent face. They enjoyed some casual chatter until there was a small commotion at the front door. A certain member of the Cenation was escorting a one Miss Chalene Brooks to the table. Punk's mouth dropped slightly and he brought his sister into a hug.

"I thought you left after the show last night. Did you miss your flight to Chicago?" Punk asked, holding Chalene at arm's length. His sister smiled back and glanced away towards Tober.

"Well, this wonderful girlfriend you have came to me personally and volunteered to reschedule my flight if I came to this dinner. Johnny here was more or less volun_told_ to help me out as a date. Just you wait, Philly, there's one more thing," Chalene smiled, patting his face gently. "It was sweet of you to plan this for her. I don't think I remember the last time you did this for anybody. Especially a girlfriend. I'm very proud."

"Yeah, I'm sure you are," he rolled his eyes and all three sat down again. "Can't wait to get out of this monkey suit." He tugged at his tie and Tober slapped his hand away. As she leaned over, she whispered in his ear.

"Behave and I'll take it off for you." Chalene watched them intently and decided upon talking with John. He was a bit more in on the whole thing.

"Johnny, how do you get this to happen? I tried for years to get him someone," Chalene asked, glancing at the Cenation leader. John smiled uncomfortably. This wasn't really his scene. Sure, with his wife (when they weren't in the middle of a divorce), they did this all the time but there's just too much family love here. It's awkward. "Stop squirming."

"What? It's weird being around people at a family reunion thing. I kinda wasn't planning for things to get this far. Oktober did most of it on her own. Your brother is more of an ass than I thought originally," John replied, tone clipped. Chalene shook her head and looked back at her brother. His smile reached his eyes, something he was _not_ known for, and he treated the Samuels girl with so much care. A small brush of their hands together, a significant glance, and their body language seemed so in tune; they're almost too perfect together.

"He's dense as hell, that's for sure," Chalene mumbled. They ate comfortably, Punk offering to pay for the meal which of course was debated between every member at the table until it was split between them all. Of course, this left time for the main event…dancing.

"Twinkle Toes, I was kidding earlier, I'm not a dance person," Punk protested but his sister pushed him forward. Phil looked for an escape route, finding none between Chalene and John bearing down on him. "Ah, hell, alright."

"Thank you," Oktober said, taking his hand and allowing him to lead in a dance. The band had the courtesy of playing a cover of "Fly Me To the Moon", a very classy song. "Y'know, I watch you in the ring and I have to ask, did your sisters ever make you try ballet?"

"Okay, it can't be that obvious," he huffed gruffly. "It was three lessons. Three! I don't even know how to do that spinny thing," he protested and she giggled. "_That_ is a wonderful sound, Ms. Samuels."

"I'm glad you enjoy it, Mr. Brooks. Your dancing is better than you think," she complimented and he twirled her around a circle. "I believe you've been holding out."

"Holding out my ass. I don't dance. This is the best you're going to get," Phil growled, smile still lighting his face. Chalene broke in and Tober gladly let her have a dance with her stubborn brother. John caught her up in a gentle sway, the song switching to something unrecognizable but beautiful.

"So, you're happy?" John began, smiling with those adorable little dimples. The petite red head blushed bashfully and looked up at him with sparkling green eyes.

"Looks like I took over your plan, huh?" she grinned and his mouth snapped shut. "Thought I didn't know, didn't you? I'm a woman, John, not stupid. That's man's job. You need to work on your subtleness when it comes to dropping hints," she laughed and he made a face.

"Yeah, yeah, alright, I had a plan to get you guys together but if you want the true master mind don't look at me," he said, nodding to Kaidan. The Diva glanced over and the kid nodded back with gusto.

"I got set up by a thirteen year old?" she asked with disbelief. John shrugged and passed her off to her father. Mr. Samuels smiled gently down at his daughter, swaying her back and forth.

"I'm so proud of you, sweet heart. I'm glad you're doing this, that you have Phil and that this is working out," he admitted, pushing his glasses up a tad to rub a tear from his eye. "Your mother and I love you very much, Oktober," he said.

Oktober's eyes were tearing up as well, hugging her father close. It felt so good to see her parents again. They hadn't spoken since the few months after the divorce. Even then, they were cold to each other. She only hoped it would work the same way with what she had planned. Her father twirled her around for a few more minutes. "Go back to him, sweetheart," her father said, pushing her off to Punk. The WWE champ gladly welcomed her back to his arms and she bit her lip.

"Um, I have one last part of the surprise for you," she confessed, glancing back towards the manager who nodded subtly. Punk allowed her to leave him momentarily but when she returned, he was in too much shock to really _say_ anything. His eyes were zeroed in on the two people who were being led to the table. "I hope this is okay."

"How… how did you get them to come see me?" he spluttered, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "Last time I checked, they had a major bitch fit every time I asked."

"I have my ways," Tober admitted and she grabbed his calloused hand in her own soft one. "At least come say hello," she encouraged, dragging him back to the table where Chalene was already chatting. The older couple glanced up at them and Oktober smiled gently.

"Mom?...Dad?" Punk stood stock still, too stunned to know what to say. Oktober was beginning to think that perhaps this might've been a bad idea. She didn't completely know what their reaction would be. Hopefully it would be good?

It was, until that moment when marriage was brought up and everything was shot to hell.

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><p><strong>AN I apologize profusely for the late update. I'm in the middle of exams so I haven't had much time. I figured after last chapter's intensity I needed to add a little bit of fluff. I mean, who doesn't love a good sweet 'meet the parents' dinner (besides like every male on the planet)?**

**Also, I'm wondering if I have any readers who are Supernatural fans. Don't be afraid to speak up! I want to know which pairings are enjoyed because I've got some ideas.**

**Review if you wish~**


	16. Playing Nice

**A/N Soooo sorry for the long wait! I've got quite a few stories open right now so I'm getting a little behind. I hope this chapter is enjoyed!**

**~DeAngelo'sMuse**

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><p>"Marriage?" Oktober looked at her mother as that word was spoken, paling as it rolled off her parent's tongue. It had been Punk's mother whom had brought it up and the starring couple had tensed up completely. Tober licked her lips cautiously and flitted her eyes to each person's face. Chalene looked absolutely mortified while Kaidan looked smug as hell.<p>

John sat back and watched this ball of awkward snowball downhill, pursing his lips. There was really no way of getting out of this safely. Either the couple begins to have issues or the parents fight. Punk's hands had fisted up but one slipped under the table to grasp Tober's.

"I think that when they're ready and if they want to, they will decide for themselves," Chalene explained. She glanced over at her brother whose small thankful smile didn't reach his eyes. "Besides, they're young, they have time."

"Not _that_ young," Mr. Brooks muttered and Punk had had enough. He stood up, pushing his chair back, and walked out to the balcony of the restaurant. The whole table was quiet before Tober stood up as well and followed after Punk. "What? I meant that in the nicest way possible!"

Oktober approached Phil where he stood leaning against the balcony. "I thought you never ran from anybody?" she joked, standing beside him and looking out over the town. He snorted and looked at her sideways.

"He's not anybody," he replied and she nodded. "Sorry about the whole 'marriage' ideals being forced on you. God, that was awful." He chuckled, running a hand over his slicked back hair. Tober frowned but put a smile on for him. She reached a hand up and patted his cheek.

"Not as awful as the videos of your 'cult leader' days," she replied. His hazel eyes narrowed at her playfully. "Look, I know that sucked but you need to go back in there. You can't avoid family forever. Besides, I don't think marriage is necessarily a bad thing. Not that we have to do that at all anyways. Hell, I don't care; if you want to live in sin forever I'll do it. Just…just don't let your dad fuck with you. He means well," she pleaded and his smile grew. As she rambled, he had wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her closer.

"I never said it was a bad thing. I just don't want to rush it. For now, would you just be the Thelma to my Louis?" If he grin could get any bigger it would split her face.

"Good God, that was corny. I didn't think you had it in you, man," John said from the entryway to the balcony. Punk looked over with a smirk and Cena shook his head awkwardly. "Look, Phil, your parents thought it was best that they leave and told me to pass on their apology. Would you two like to join us again?"

"Thanks, John. We'll be there in a sec," Tober said gratefully. Cena shook his head with a grin and turned away, rejoining the table where Tober's parents were engrossed in a conversation with Chalene. The Diva turned back to Punk and smiled at him, reaching for his hand and tangling her fingers in his. "I told you it would be fine."

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><p>All the ease and merriment from the night before faded when they had to get back to work. Of course, this wouldn't normally be a problem if it wasn't for Creative's new idea. "I don't think this is going to work out." The Creative team narrowed their eyes at the WWE champ and he smirked right back. He'd been sitting here listening to all the bullshit they came up with and this latest idea sure as hell wasn't going to go over well.<p>

"It's not like you have to do anything. Just play along with her desperate act and pretend to hit on her. Not that bad, right?" The head of Creative encouraged. Punk shook his head and kicked his feet up on the table he was sitting at.

"You _do_ know I'm in a relationship, right? Do you really think pissing off my girlfriend will be a good time for any of us? She's going to rip AJ apart like a ragdoll," he laughed. By the look of all the faces in the room, they'd just brainstormed an idea to make that happen. Punk frowned and looked around at all of them, tipping down his ball cap. "If you tell her I gave you that idea I will cause mass hysteria about firings."

"Oh, don't worry, Mr. Brooks, we won't say a word," a devious voice announced from the doorway behind him. His frown turned into a smirk as he turned to face Stephanie McMahon. "She won't know a thing unless_ you _tell her."

"And _you_ think I won't. Well, now I definitely know Hunter didn't marry you for your brains. I'm blowing this Popsicle stand," Punk chuckled, hopping up and exiting the room. He turned back once to give Stephanie a wink before slamming the conference room door shut.

"Well, that went better than expected. Hopefully this won't end up a nightmare," Stephanie chimed and the Creative staff took a moment of silence for their hopefully safe jobs.

_Monday Night Raw (unspecified date…I don't know, whenever…)_

Tober stalked back and forth backstage as she waited for her cue. She didn't care that it was just a storyline. She didn't care that it wasn't real. She didn't even care that she was about to go out and get a major beat down for the storyline. What she cared about was getting her claws into the woman who was going to fuck up her relationship. "I don't believe this! Does that make me or her look like a whore?"

"Her, not you. Tober, would you please calm down?" Kofi calmed and she rounded on him faster than intended. Evan stood next to his ex-partner, shrinking back and patting Kingston on the shoulder lightly.

"You just told a woman to calm down… It was nice knowing you…" Evan turned and bolted, not wanting to wait for a woman scorned to react. Kofi's cheeks flushed slightly as he tried not to flinch. Oktober stood at her full height, hands clenched tight as she willed herself to relax. After all, Kofi hadn't meant offense by that and she might be overreacting…just a tad.

"Sorry, I'm just…upset with everyone right now." Her music cued and she shook her head angrily before walking out with a fake smile. Punk's match was already finished and they had gone to break moments after Tober's match started, showing the scripted 'flirting' scene between Punk and AJ. Thankfully, Oktober did _not_ see it because she might've ripped Layla's head off during the match if she had.

The match was quick and efficient. Layla got the beat down on Oktober, apologizing quietly the whole time. Tober held nothing against her; it's part of the job after all. She was unhappy about what was to happen next. She herself had been pulled into a separate meeting that Punk did _not_ know about. The Creative team had discussed the next scene to jump start the storyline and hopefully get the more reluctant WWE Champ into it. It was an 'agree or terminated' kind of deal. The company must be in more hot water than originally thought.

"Oh, look, it's AJ running down the ramp! What could she possibly want with anyone out here?" Lawlor commentated and Michael Cole was quick to make up some kind of shit storm.

"She's heading towards Oktober! Maybe AJ is out to give a warning to Punk's girlfriend that she's not going to be around for long!" Oktober was still resting against the turnbuckle. He eyes were still screwed shut with pain that was beginning to spread from her ribs to her stomach. She recalled something that Kaidan had said to her when explaining the company. When she had asked about the Divas, Kaidan had explained who were the best and worst. One thought rung in her head: AJ never wins.

Of course, there was nothing she could do but listen to the taunts she knew were ahead of her. As she opened her green eyes, the red head focused on the face of the little bitch that planned on ruining her. They'd never gotten along backstage simply because AJ wasn't faking her crush on Phil. She had become an annoyance when she started downing Tober and Punk's relationship but this was just ridiculous. If she would just back off they could probably be friends.

But AJ had absolutely no thoughts of backing down. She was on a one-way train to stardom and Punk would be a bonus when she got him caught up in her plans. She didn't particularly hold anything against the other Diva other than how much she meant to the Straight Edge Savior. It was completely unreal to the younger Diva. How could this red headed woman come in and capture Phil Brooks' heart so quickly?

It was almost sickening to her, the way Punk looks at Oktober Samuels. Like he was so infatuated with her that he couldn't take his eyes off! Sure, AJ knew she wasn't a match against the woman for his attention but if there was one thing she was sure about, it was that she always gets what she wants. There are only three things she wants too: CM Punk, revenge on Daniel, and fame. If she could get all of those, she would be ecstatic.

Now, if she and Oktober could just come to an understanding then everything would work out perfectly! Oktober is a stubborn one though and no way in hell would she give up. It's not in her nature. As AJ trashed her on the mic, she worked up her strength to stand up. Layla had retreated to safety as she watched the oncoming bitch fight. Even the commentators looked slightly more concerned than usual.

"Furthermore, I think you'd be better off just giving up on him. He's not exactly your type, y'know?" As AJ continued, she paid little to no attention to the enraged woman ready to pounce on her. Just as she was about to throw a punch, a butchered version of 'Flight of the Valkeries' blasted over the speakers and the crowd's reaction turned negative.

"I just can't win today, can I?" Oktober growled as AJ backed away to the corner for safety. The younger Diva glared at the red head and clutched the mic to her chest. Daniel Bryan stalked up to the ring and stared AJ down scathingly. Unexpectedly, he stepped over to Oktober and offered a hand. Confused, she welcomed the hand and gripped it to lift her up from her spot she'd tumbled back down to.

"AJ…what's the point of this?" he asked, releasing Tober so she could lean against the ropes. She had nothing to say quite yet. No…she was more likely to just stand there and wait this out. "Are you suddenly interested in Punk because he beat me or…because he's taken?"

AJ flushed and snuck a glance over Tober before looking at Daniel. The older Diva, now recovered and standing behind D-Bry, perked up with interest. She'd like an explanation too. AJ stuttered and floundered for an answer, obviously a little unprepared for the turn of events. As soon as she found purchase on some words, she shut her mouth and bolted from the ring all the way up the ramp.

Tober shook her head in disappointment, she was kind of hoping for something entertaining. Daniel Bryan tapped her on the shoulder and she glanced at him momentarily. He stuck a hand out and everything she thought about him changed slightly. He was offering a truce and a pact. She helps him stop AJ and she gets to keep AJ's hands off her man. Hesitating for only a moment, she reached out and shook his hand firmly. With a nod, she was out of the ring and heading towards the locker room.

* * *

><p>She was a little startled to run into Chris on her way. As far as she knew, he was done after Over the Limit and off to do Fozzy stuff. Obviously he wasn't there to wrestle, the Lite Brite jacket was missing after all, but he seemed fairly preoccupied. They'd gotten over their differences when the Extreme Rules hype was over but neither of them talked to each other all that often. Even Punk was civil with the guy on the occasions that they had run into each other. "Chris?"<p>

"Oh, hey, Tober… how've you been?" Jericho asked brightly. She felt this was weird but hey, if he's being nice then there's no need to complain. They both stopped and moved off to the side of the hall to chat, making sure to stay out of people's way.

"Oh, y'know, dealing with Creative's BS, family stuff, things like that. What about you? I thought you were off on official rock star business," she chuckled, grinning at him merrily.

"Yeah, been off doing tours with Fozzy. I've got the Downlaod Tour early in June and then the UPROAR Tour in August and September. I'm not sure I'm coming back to this stuff, I mean, I _was_ pretty great, but I thought I'd stop by and chat with some old friends," Chris explained, smiling warmly. He really wasn't as bad as everyone makes him out to be. On TV, he's a douchebag, but otherwise he's actually pretty easy to get along with. He loves his singing, that's certain. "Speaking of old friends, where's that boyfriend of yours?"

"Y'know, I haven't seen him since we talked this afternoon. He's probably in his dressing room," she said, shrugging and motioning for Chris to follow her. They chatted about her match until they got there and Oktober's mood had risen exponentially… until Chris had to restrain her. Punk was _not_ in his dressing room; she could see on the monitors that he was in the ring. No, he may not be there but AJ was waiting for him on the sofa…

And there were a whole lot of clothes missing from her stupid little body.

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><p><strong>AN First, Mwahahahahah another cliffhanger!**

**Okay, I'm good now. I would like to say that I don't actually hate AJ. She seems like she's actually pretty nice in real life (based off interviews, tweets, the works…) and I'm using her for the fact that she's already sort of doing that stuff in the show.**

**Hope this chapter was enjoyed and R & R if you would like to~**


	17. John REALLY needs a day off

**A/N I just _had_ to update! So, last time we left off with crazy AJ sitting in Punk's locker room; Oktober pissed as fuck, and Chris confused as hell since he's just gotten back to the WWE. **

**Thank you for all the reviews and **wolviegurl**, there is a MAJOR cat fight going down. Plus, our heroine might be having some confusion in the love department.**

**Enjoy because I know I enjoyed writing this ;)**

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><p>"I'm going to…to rip every limb from her body!" Oktober seethed. She was pacing back and forth outside Punk's closed locker room with Jericho watching her with apprehension. All at once, she stopped and stared at the blonde sympathetically. "You don't have to stay, Chris. I know you've got stuff to do."<p>

"You think I'm going to let you stay here by yourself? I'd be counted as an accomplice in a murder if I do that, sweetie," he assured, leaning against a wall calmly. "This is probably a misunderstanding. I doubt Brooks knows she's there." Tober stared at him forlornly and continued her pacing. In her mind, she knew Punk would never do anything like this or to hurt her in general. It's not Punk she doesn't trust though. It's AJ. AJ is some desperate bitch that can't keep her hands to herself.

"I'm going in there. I gotta teach her a lesson." As Oktober pushed the door open, she saw something worse than the first time she went in. AJ wasn't naked thankfully, but she wore little to nothing anyways. Punk must've just gotten back from his match and gone in the other door to his locker room because he was frozen to the spot. AJ was staring at him with a faux innocent expression, biting her lip. Oktober couldn't look anymore. She slammed the door shut and pushed past Chris as he approached her.

"Hey, Sweetheart, stop." Chris was calling after her but she ignored him, stepping hurriedly down the hall. Jericho waited where he was until the door to Punk's locker room opened. AJ stepped out with a pout, now clothed in a t-shirt and gym shorts. Phil proceeded to step out with a scowl, glancing at Chris briefly. He pushed AJ away, insisting she leave quickly. "I can't believe you."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Punk snapped, clenching his fists at his side. Chris shook his head and for a moment, he held a look of pity. Pushing off the wall, he walked down the hall Oktober had taken. He turned back one last time and frowned.

"You just lost somebody very important." Punk stared after him with confusion, completely out of the loop. All he'd done was

Oktober had stopped walking some time ago. She was just standing, trying to process what had just happened. When did her life get turned so upside down? As if to prove a point, the universe had AJ walk past her right then. The younger Diva paused and turned to Tober, a smirk playing on those tiny pink lips. And all inhibitions were out the window. Oktober lunged forward, twisting her fingers in AJ's hair, tugging harshly. The younger let out a yelp and fought back. The wrestled, ironically enough, for a few more moments before officials broke them apart. Both were reprimanded and told to avoid the other.

During all this time, Chris had managed to appear and stood there watching as the tussle went down, unsure what to do. When they were broken apart, he listened to the insults AJ hurled at the older Diva. "He doesn't want you. What makes you think he wants damaged property? I know about the thing with Riley. I know you can't get pregnant because of the damage. He'll want kids some day and _you_ can't give him that!"

Each sentence caused Tober to flinch. AJ had good points and that small part of her that was self-loathing yelled at her to give up. Let AJ have him. Let him be happy. So she gave up. She stood up straight, brought her shoulders back and nodded stiffly. If anyone was stunned, it was AJ because she had _won_. So she stepped back and watched as Oktober walked away slowly. Chris took the opportunity to follow her but not before catching AJ's gaze with a frustrated glare.

Oktober stalked away and rubbed furiously at her eyes to keep hot tears at bay. It worked, until two arms pulled her into a hug and she let loose. At first, she was unaware of the person who was holding her but the soft words of comfort were familiar. So she let him lead her away from everything down a back hall and he sat her down on the ground with her back against his chest. He leaned back against the wall with a sigh. Neither of them made too much noise as Tober simply leaned back against Chris. She didn't cry, no, she shook with silent sobs.

Part of her was still thinking rationally, telling her it was a misunderstanding. Punk obviously had no idea what was going on. He was just as surprised as she was at the situation. But the much larger part of her was screaming at the top of her lungs that 'that stupid little skank doesn't know what she's talking about and how dare she touch my fucking man'. And all at once she was caught in a maelstrom of emotions. It was too much on her body though, draining her of any energy. "You can sleep."

Chris' voice startled her after such a long stretch of silence. In fact, it made her jump just the slightest. But it wasn't long before she gave in to the grogginess. She closed her eyes and let go, resting back limply against Chris' chest. He was so comforting sometimes.

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><p>Chris sat there for almost an hour, just stroking her hair and thinking to himself. If his band mates had asked him what he thought he'd be doing on his visit…it was absolutely not this. He kind of felt bad too. Punk would eventually come looking for her if he wasn't already and then there would be explaining to do. Thankfully, nobody passed by them for quite a bit. Only when Cena lumbered by did he stiffen up and look down at the sleeping woman in his arms.<p>

Both men froze and John opened his mouth to say something, closing it when he received a warning glance from Jericho. The blond rock star lifted the sleeping Diva up and placed her on one of the lighting cases. It something he'd picked up from the Chicago native, actually. He'd once stumbled upon Punk sitting on one of the cases after a match, eyes closed and unaware as he rested. Chris slipped his worn leather jacket off his shoulders and folded it into a makeshift pillow, placing Tober's head on it gently.

"What the _hell_?" John asked in a hushed tone when Chris was finally paying attention. He glanced over at the Diva whose eyes were red rimmed from light tears and grief. His first impression was that Jericho had taken advantage of her and Johnny might just have to kick his ass. Now he wasn't so sure.

"You're asking the wrong person, John. You want answers? Go ask Punk, maybe he'd be able to explain how much he's just fucked up!" Chris replied, tone hushed but raising towards the end of his seething statement. John looked taken aback and frowned deeply, dimples appearing.

"If Punk screwed up, why is she here? What happened?" he asked, taking off his hat and running a hand through his buzzed hair. He really needed to stop doing that; it was such a nervous habit. Oktober shifted and both of the guys paused to see if she'd awakened. When she settled down again, Chris turned back to John with an icy glare.

"AJ happened." John flinched at the fury in Jericho's tone. He wasn't aware that Y2J cared _that_ much about Oktober and he was beginning to see the flaw in his plans. He never accounted for somebody _else_ falling for the Diva. He kind of just assumed it would be Punk. He should learn to never assume things though.

John wanted to laugh as he thought of the phrase 'assume: makes an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me'. It was a morbid thought and he really had no time to consider it as he focused back on Chris' frustrated face. "How many times am I going to have to hold her, tell her it's going to be okay, before it's too much, John? How many times am I going to have to watch her crumble over _him_?"

"I don't know, man, I don't know. I'll talk to him. Just…take her back to her room, okay?"

"Take her back to her room? John, she shares a room with Punk! I can't just bring her back to something that's going to make her run all over again." Chris snarled all this out and when he finished he snapped his mouth shut, eyes focused on something over John's shoulder. The Champ barely had time to register what was happening before he saw Phil slammed up against the wall, struggling to get out of his rival's grip. "_You_! What the hell is wrong with you? How could you do that to her?"

Punk looked absolutely confused and frazzled. Something clicked and John realized exactly what was going on. Boy, was he getting underpaid for what he goes through around here. "Guys, stop. Back away, alright?" He ushered, trying to pry Jericho off of Punk who was scowling angrily at the blond. Chris attempted to lunge at the WWE champ once more and John pushed him back roughly. "Chris stop." When he was sure that the two were at least going to keep from blows, John scooped up the sleeping Diva and began to walk away. One glance back from him and the other two followed behind reluctantly.

Only when he had safely placed the Diva inside her and Punk's shared room and closed the door, did he turn back to them. Punk looked frustrated and anguished while Jericho looked as though he would thoroughly enjoy ripping people apart limb from limb. Shaking his head, he motioned for them to follow him to his hotel room, somewhere they could be loud and knock shit around. "Alright, first things first, what happened Chris?"

Punk opened his mouth to interrupt when John raised a hand for silence. Neither of them understood why in the hell Punk decided to listen at that moment. "I happened to run into our favorite little Diva in the hall. We were doing some catching up, she told me how much she'd glad to have Punk," he began, glancing over at said wrestler who stared back accusingly. "Then we were off to go visit the guy who was already out in the ring. So, when Tober opened his dressing room door, she found _AJ_ waiting there. Minus most of her clothes." John grimaced and glanced over at Punk whose hands were clenched into fists. "So she closed the door and practically went into a rage outside the door. I didn't say anything, she was the one who walked in on Mr. Fantastic over here talking to that little slut." He said, raising his hands defensively, and shaking his head with an incredulous grin. "I can't believe any of this happened. I was pretty sure you guys were happy."

"We were! Are still! I don't know what the hell is going on but that is not how it went down you ass hat. I walked in on AJ wearing close to fucking nothing, told her to leave and threw clothes at her so she didn't walk out naked. What the hell am I being accused of here? Like I would cheat on Oktober, that's ridiculous!" Punk exploded, his voice rough and angry from being silent so long.

"Well, it doesn't seem so silly when you have a _naked_ _woman_ in your locker room!" Chris shouted and the two were throwing fists again. John avoided getting caught up in any of this and leaned back against the doorway of his bathroom. Sure, he knew he should probably break up the fight but maybe after a few good hits they'll get it outta their system.

"Phil," John called after a while, catching the WWE Champ's attention. "Why was AJ there in the first place?" Punk threw his hands up incredulously, pushing Chris away from him.

"I have no idea! Tober hinted that AJ might have a crush on me but it's not like I called her there. Maybe she's taking the storyline too seriously?" John shook his head and went back to thinking while the two rivals stared at each other scathingly. Chris' jaw looked painfully tight as he ground his teeth together and his fists were clenched white. "Why do _you_ care Chris? Is there something you'd like to share?" Punk taunted and John found himself shaking his head once again. Not the right time but it might be best for Chris' feelings to be out in the open.

"I care about her, Phil. Obviously more than you do if she's running to me for a shoulder to cry on." As soon as the words left his mouth, he clamped his lips shut again and breezed out of the room. The two that were left were speechless.

"Well, John, since you're obviously the resident psychotherapist, what's you're opinion of this shit storm?" Punk asked, slicking his bruised and chapped lips, arms crossed over his chest. "Please, tell me exactly how much of an idiot I am."

"You're not an idiot. You just need to come up with a hell of a plan to prove it was a misunderstanding. Just, go back to your room, apologize to her when she wakes up, and explain yourself. That's the best you can do right now."

"Y'know, you're in the wrong job department, Chain Gang. Wrestling is definitely not the job for you if you're solving problems like this."

"I'm kind of offended by that but I'll take it as a compliment."

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><p><strong>AN I had such a good ideathat I just had to write it and throw the chapter up. So, now we have AJ off doing…stuff, Punk needing to explain, Chris has gone off the deep end, and poor ol' John boy is coming up with a plan to fix everything. Not to mention a very confused and angry Diva caught up in yet a bigger love tug of war… I feel like I should give Cena a day off from all the drama…**

**R & R if you would like to~**


	18. Atomosphere

**A/N A month. I feel horrible about making you guys wait :( I got a little sidetracked by another story. Thank you for all the reviews and to everybody who is still following the story!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except Oktober Samuels.**

**NOTE: I will be on vacation August 3rd-10th and August 25th-September 2nd. Without Internet. I'll try and write a chapter in the mean time and post it in September. Sorry for such long waits…**

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><p>Punk paced his room the next morning, grumbling under his breath as he, well, as he decided whether he should leave or not. Fight or flight at a new level, eh? There was a slight stirring from the bed where Oktober had been gently placed last night. The bed, as in there is only one. Normally not a problem but when in a fight with your girlfriend, there is no worse place to be. This is why Punk avoided emotionally attached shit in the first place! Relationships always went to hell with him. And that is why he should be alone. Alone with his stupid rebellious ideas.<p>

"You can't pace forever." Of course, she wakes up as he's rambling within his mind. Punk, with that scowl so firmly set into his face, looked over and softened his features. He really had given the wrong image. But she'd overreacted. "Could you sit down? You're putting me on edge." He's putting _her_ on edge? What the _hell_. He shuffled over to the chair in their room and settled down on it. "I'm…I'm sorry I made a big deal last night. I should've trusted you."

Punk simply looked at her. How…how is he supposed to respond to that? He had this whole speech prepared on how she'd never heard his side of the story and how she needs to trust that he wouldn't do anything with AJ. But, she just admitted she was in the wrong and that threw him through a loop. "What the hell? Aren't you mad?" He hadn't really wanted to ask that. He's known for being sober though, not for keeping his mouth shut.

Oktober didn't reply right away. She sat up on their bed and leaned against the headboard, drawing her knees up to her chest. She still had her ring gear on but after sleeping in it for a few hours, it felt like pajamas. "I'm not…mad. Really," she insisted when all she got was a skeptical eyebrow raise. "I'm disappointed. Look, just, I think I need some time away. I've been with Raw for almost a year now. I'll put in for a small vacation, go back home for a bit."

"That's a little dramatic…" Perhaps that wasn't the best thing to say. She scoffed, uncurling from her place on the bed and standing up. He made no move to stop her, simply watching as she got up and changed out of her clothes. At least she was still comfortable enough around him to undress. But that's not the point. "Going somewhere, Oktober." She turned to him, ginger hair pooling over her shoulder. "Right, sorry, forgot I have no right to know where my girlfriend is going."

"Oh, right, okay. You're too self righteous to talk about issues. Go ahead, cover your ass by being an insensitive jerk off. I'm going to talk to Remy, if you really want to know." She picked up a small bag and shoved her wallet and keys into it. Punk glanced down with frustration. He was just making all this shit worse. Maybe he should listen to Johnny more often. Maybe he should've gotten up to stop her as she walked out the door, but he didn't. He sat there in the chair for a solid thirty minutes before up and vanishing out the door himself.

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><p>When she was upset as a kid, Oktober always went to her brother. She never went to her father because all she'd get in the way of comfort was a pat on the head. She sometimes sought out her mother if she wanted just a hug. However, when she went to Jordan, he would listen, let her rant, let her cry or hit a pillow.<p>

When she was married to Alex, she often shared with him what upset her. He was kind about it, held her for a while if she cried. He wasn't the best at comfort, but he _did_ try. So Tober tended to turn back to her brother and even her brother's wife, Cecilia. They were the best comfort she'd had. When times got rough with Alex, she would retreat to their house. If she didn't want to talk about it, they'd leave her be and wait until she was ready.

Now, comfort was backfiring on her. When she'd been hurt by Punk's words in the hospital, she'd meant to have a breakdown in the solitude of her hotel room. She hadn't counted on her emotions getting the best of her and knocking her on her ass. It had been Chris who'd come to her rescue and held her until she'd managed to stifle the sobs. Of course, he'd kissed her afterwards which was _so_ not okay, but he'd apologized later. Even so, she'd waited to tell Punk for over a week about the innocent lip lock. Now, after this minor AJ fiasco, she'd once again overreacted and it was Chris who came to her rescue. As much as she hated to admit it, she felt a twinge of feeling towards the rock star. Not love, or even strong affection, but a sense of attraction.

She'd lied about going to see Remy. Well, not completely cause she was going to tomorrow, but she'd gone somewhere else instead. No, not to Chris though she'd felt a small tug at her heart telling her to do so. He was definitely number one on the 'people to avoid' list right now, after her boyfriend of course. She knocked on a door when she reached the right hallway. This was the only other place she felt comfortable to go without immediately buying a plane ticket to fly home. There was a quick shuffling in the room before the door was yanked open. "Tober?"

"Hey Evan, can I come in? I think I need to talk."

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><p>"What the hell are <em>you<em> doing here?" Chris had been minding his own business since he'd stormed out last night. For a bit he'd gone for a run, letting out frustration through sweating. He'd returned to his room, growling unceremoniously when Christian asked if he was alright. Sleeping came to him two hours before dawn but lasted just as long. Now, at seven forty-five in the morning, he was glaring at the figure in his doorway. "Wasn't last night enough to make you tuck your tail between your legs? Come to apologize for all the bullshit you accuse me of on a daily basis?"

Punk nibbled on the skin around his lip ring, a frown on his face. This was by no means what he wanted to be doing with his morning. If everything wasn't shot to hell, he'd want to wake up with his girlfriend in his arms and their clothes scattered around the room. But, Oktober and him are not okay and she hadn't come back. Somehow, he figured she was here but when it appeared she wasn't, he decided on a different course of action. "I came to talk."

"And what gives you the right?" Chris' face was twisted into a scowl, arms crossed over his wife beater. "Where's Oktober? Did she leave already?" This little slip of information didn't get past Punk. Seemingly realizing his mistake, Chris covered with a little lie. "She was going to see Creative today for the next part of the storyline, right?" The suspicion in Punk's features didn't leave but his eyes fell to the ground. "What did you do?"

"Look, can I come in or what?" He pushed past Chris, wrinkling his nose when he noticed Christian snoring on one of the beds. "Kick sleepy over here out so we can have our little chat." So he felt a little bad as Chris told Christian that Miz called and needed a hand right away. It effectively got the blonde out of the room leaving the two to their talk. "I fucked up."

"You came here to state the obvious? Well, congrats, Phil, for telling me the shit I already know." Punk clenched his fist. Sometimes he wished he could just go on a rage and beat the shit out of people for real. He counted to five and unclenched his hands so he could look up at the smug face waiting for him.

"She's leaving. Soon. I need to stop her but she's not going to listen to me. I'd…_appreciate it_ if you could help me convince her to stay." As he bit out those words, he felt his pride die just a little. He was asking his fucking enemy for help.

"Don't you think she has a right to leave if she wants?" Punk kept his mouth shut, biting his cheek. "You don't get it do you? You're still acting like a spoiled kid in all this. It's not about you. This isn't about the storyline. This is about Oktober feeling betrayed because _you_ failed to make her feel secure. You never bothered to make sure she knows that you'd never be unfaithful. In fact, while you're drowning in your own insecurities she's been putting up with your attitude. You're so scared of letting people in that you keep pushing her away."

"You don't know _anything _about me, Jericho. You don't know what my life was like," Punk growled. It was a weak argument but it was true. Though Lite Brite claimed to know how Phil felt about his father, he didn't know the half of it. He didn't know about the nights he came home and had to keep his sisters in his room so they wouldn't hear their father's drunken rants. He didn't know about the false since of security he lulled himself into as a child, pretending everything was alright when in reality it couldn't get any worse.

"I've lived a good number of years more than you and I know how you feel. My life hasn't exactly been white picket fences and flower gardens. That doesn't change the fact that you need to either suck it up and swallow what's left of your pride or break it off with Oktober." Chris looked away, turning around to walk to his nightstand and grab a water bottle. This was getting a little too intense for him. He's a rock star, a wrestler, and a radio show guest, not a relationship therapist. Definitely not a relationship therapist for his fucking adversary. This is completely ridiculous.

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><p>"So, dump his ass and find somebody worth it." Evan would probably need to work on putting things eloquently. Oktober sighed from her seat on Evan and Kofi's sofa. Kofi was out at the moment, as he always seems to be but Evan had welcome her in right away. She was not about to dump Punk; she couldn't let go if she tried. No, she just needed a vacation.<p>

"I'm not going to dump him, Ev. I just need to get my thoughts together. I think I love him, I really do. But-" She began but Evan cut her off with a knowing smirk.

"But AJ's a little slut and she's ruining shit. Plus you've got Jeritroll on the side being all 'protective' and raising hell. Look, I've got an idea. Instead of going home and rehashing all this to your family…Why don't you come back to my house in Florida? I've got physical therapy starting soon and I could use the company. Plus, it'll give you a chance to breathe without having to constantly be questioned. Or if you're not comfortable with all that, there's a great hotel near my house that I can get you a room at." He smiled warmly, pulling his legs up to his chest and resting his cheek on his knees. For being three years older than her, Ev sure acted like a little kid. She couldn't say no; it was a great plan of action, really.

"Ev, I don't want to intrude…But if you insist, that would be wonderful. Besides, you're really the only one I can talk to about all this. I just have to request time off which is going to suck," Tober replied. If she could just take a breather; She didn't think she'd signed on for all this drama. When Oktober had first agreed, it was to get away from bad memories and fears. Then she met a snarky, loudmouthed, self-righteous asshole and learned that being a cold, spiteful, bitch might not be the best self-defense mechanism. So she let her guard down and he got under her skin so far that she couldn't back out.

**(A/N I apologize for that paragraph of corny shit. I had my iTunes on shuffle and it decided on Kenny Chesney's 'You Had from Hello'. I didn't even realize I was writing to it…)**

"Eh, blame it on family emergency or being sick. They don't really care as long as you come back at some point. This is your first year anyways, so it's not a biggie. Just, don't leave without telling Phil. I don't think it would be…right? I'll get us tickets for tomorrow. Unless that's too soon? I can wait." It was kind of endearing to watch Evan fret over offending her. He's been such a good friend, the only one who wasn't trying to win her affections. Other than Kofi, but at times, it seemed like he was interested too. If this weren't such a shitty situation, she'd be flattered by the attention.

"Tomorrow is fine, Ev. Just make it an evening flight cause I need sleep and things are going to be awkward with Phil. Ugh, I just…I don't think…Why the hell does this shit happen to me?" Evan snorted and waved her away. She walked towards the door, sorting out her plan of action in her head.

"Go kiss and make up with your boyfriend. Or at least find a way to make it through the night," Evan called from his room as she shut the door. Shaking her head, she felt a smile sneaking its way back onto her face. Why in the hell was she mad anyways? If anything, she should've just had angry sex. It's the best kind after all. First things first, she'd need to talk to Remy and, hopefully not, talk to Hunter.

An hour later and she was making her way to Remy's table in the hotel cafeteria. Creative had yet to leave for the arena to do the random crap they usually hang around to do. The petite blonde was chatting with a few of the other Creative members at her table, smiling brightly when she saw Tober approach. As the redhead Diva took a place at the table, Remy took not e of how nervous the girl looked. "Hey, Oktober. Is there something you need?" Her voice was sweet as ever but that gave no comfort to the ginger.

"I need to take a vacation starting tomorrow. I know this is a bad time to ask but I _really_ need the time off," She pleaded. Remy cocked her head to the side and a small frown crossed her lips.

"Is something wrong? You don't have to beg for a vacation around here Tober." The Diva hadn't counted on Remy caring about her reason. Perhaps getting close to others wasn't such a great idea… "Oh, nevermind, It's none of my business, sweetie. How long do you need?"

"Is a week okay? I'm flying out to St. Louis," she explained. Remy nodded, taking out a PDA to make a note of it. She wished Oktober well and assured the young woman that all would be fine. One down, one more to go. Now, to deal with Punk.

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><p><strong>AN Again, I am **_**so soo **_**sorry about taking so long! Please bear with me T.T I promise to have the next chapter up before September!**


	19. Florida

**A/N Thank you for all the reviews and thank you for still reading the story :) It's much appreciated.**

**Here's the next chapter~**

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><p>In hindsight, Punk had taken her departure pretty well. Oktober had returned to the room where he was sitting dejectedly on their bed. His eyes were cast down to the ground and he had the decency to look ashamed of his behavior. The Diva walked up to him with a grounded and neutral expression on her wary face. "Phil." Tober kept her voice quite, eyeing him carefully. She wasn't entirely sure what to expect from him now that he seemed apologetic. He didn't actually look pissed either, more like confused. "I, uh, I'm sorry about earlier."<p>

"You do all the apologizing around here." Punk had only mumbled it but it was clear to Tober. Of course, what is one to do with a statement like that? "I'm a hard person to put up with," he began and Tober cocked a curious eyes. Taking that as a sign she was listening, Punk continued with his hazel eyes pinned to her greens. "But I've been treating you like crap. I'm…I'm not too good at this relationship stuff. I mean, if you look at my history with women…actually, don't. My exes are not important. Anyways, I want to apologize for my behavior."

Oktober stepped forward just a tad, enough that she could place a knuckle under his chin and lift his face up. "You're rambling." Punk's jaw snapped shut and he began that torturous sucking on his lip ring. Once satisfied he wouldn't keep going, she flashed a small smile. "Would you relax? We're gonna fight. With your self-righteousness and my stubborn attitude…match made in heaven, bro. Apology accepted." The relief in his eyes assured her that it wouldn't be _too_ horrendous when she mentioned the vacay. "Alright, now that that's settled, I'm going to be leaving for a week."

"Oh, get my hopes up then tear 'em down. That's sweet, babe." Punk looked a little offended but when she fixed him with a serious gaze he quieted down. "Alright, go on. Why are you leaving?" _Why are you leaving me?_ It may not have been said but it was absolutely implied. Oktober sighed and ran a hand through her ginger hair, turning to her suitcase in the room.

"I need a break. Evan offered to let me stay with him and - don't give me that look, it was nice of him offer-" Oktober glared at him as he scowled back. Jealous fit or not, she was still leaving. "Anyways, I'm staying with him for a week down in Florida while he goes to PT. I would say let's both you and me go on vacation _but_ you're the Champ. There's no way they'd let you off." Seeming to accept her logic, Punk crossed his arms over his t-shirt and plopped down on the bed. The entire time she packed her stuff up, he remained there with a not-so-mature pout on his lips.

About an hour later, she was laying in bed with Punk's arms wrapped tightly around her waist. It would be hard to separate but she needs a break. This job is fucking crazy. Plus…management. Johnny had been making more, er, passes at her recently when Punk wasn't around. Not only that but the guys were giving her creepy looks too. Especially, Mike. Whatever his deal was, it was creeping her out.

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><p>"Guys, I really need to get going…" Oktober grumbled as she sat down for a late lunch with the guys. They'd picked out a restaurant and dragged her there as punishment for leaving them. It was crowded and she was squished between John and Randy. The least they could've done was let her sit next to Punk. "My flight is in like four hours." Randy ruffled her hair affectionately and John chuckled while the others (Cody, Kofi, and Punk) simply smiled. There were others in the restaurant staring at them and quite possibly, most were fans. "People are going to start thinking I have a harem."<p>

"No they won't. I don't share," Punk growled good-naturedly. The table laughed collectively.

"Why are you leaving, Oktober?" Kofi asked. He'd been relatively quite since they'd arrived and his question hung heavy in the air. Tober sighed and looked at each of the boys. John looked confused as always, while Cody and Randy looked sympathetic. Punk just scowled. Somebody was bound to ask the 'why' and 'how' eventually.

"I need a break. I don't know how you guys have been doing this so long." It was honest, mostly, because this job is _not_ a walk in the park. "I think maybe I just need some time off. I'm not feeling so well either. I think I've got a cold." She twisted her lips to the side in disappointment. The cold wasn't a lie either. When she'd woken up this morning she'd been running a fever. Punk had tried using that as an excuse for her to stay but she wouldn't have it. Randy cleared his throat and moved on to a different topic, thankfully making less awkward. That didn't mean that Kofi didn't stare at her and that Punk didn't stare at him. Something was totally going on with them but, alas, that isn't something Tober felt she needed to deal with right now.

"I'll drive you to the airport. You're meeting Evan there, right?" Punk asked. Tober nodded, looking between John and Randy to implore one to move so she could exit safely. Eventually, Cody and Randy scooted out and then, suddenly, they were all exchanging hugs and farewells with her. The only one who made it awkward was Kofi who held her for a few seconds longer than the rest of the boys. She coughed awkwardly and waved goodbye as she and Punk exited the building and headed to his rental car. Sometimes his bus was just too big to travel around in. "What the hell."

Oktober was startled by Punk's sudden words. "What?" she asked cautiously, unsure what this was about. He looked at her and put an arm around her waist as they walked, letting go only to let her get in the car. He didn't elaborate and she didn't ask; the ride was silent. He was silent when walking her to security. Only when he'd gone through to see her off did he finally speak. They'd stopped at a grouping of chairs away from any curious fans and Punk pulled her close.

"Would you still leave if I told you I was Batman?" She laughed, reaching a hand up to hold his cheek. "You don't have to go. I'm a pain in the ass but I won't always be that way." Tober ran a hand over his short buzzed hair.

"You're a pain in the ass but you're _my _pain in the ass. And even if you _were _Batman, I'd still have to leave because I'd be _that_ shocked. It's not every day a girl gets to sleep with the Caped Crusader. Not to mention having his identity revealed to her," she explained and Punk grinned. "I'll be back in a week. We'll be in what, Toronto? It'll be great. You can show me around since you've been there before. Just… let me take a breather."

"I'm not sure I want to let you go," he chuckled, squeezing her waist. Just as he was leaning in to kiss her, Evan appeared out of practically nowhere and ran up to greet them. Punk cursed under his breath and refused to let her go as their friend approached.

"Alright, Batman, you can release me now," Tober huffed, pulling away from her boyfriend. Evan smiled and they chatted for a bit until the announcement for their plane came on the overhead speaker. Evan trilled happily about going ahead to get to his seat, leaving the two lovers alone again. Punk, scuffing his feet against the ground, reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his Ipod. It would be hard to live without it for a week but, well, plane rides suck without music. Handing it to his girlfriend, he smiled when she eyed him curiously. "You're giving me your Ipod?"

"Eh, I figure you'll need it more than me. Besides, you don't have one and plane rides kind of suck if you haven't noticed over the past year." The little gesture earned him a deep kiss with Tober wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'll miss you too, Twinkle Toes." With one last goodbye kiss, he waved off towards the gate. He was standing there long after the plane had called last boarding.

"Has she left yet?" a breathless voice called from behind him. Turning, Punk's eyebrows rose as he saw Kofi running up to where he was standing. "Did I miss her?" The Ghanaian high-flyer bent over at the waist to catch his breath, running a hand through his dreads. Punk's skin crawled just a little, jealousy clawing at his good mood. Whatever his best friend is playing at, it's not okay with him.

"Yeah, you just missed her." Somehow his words came out a lot harsher than he'd meant. Oh well. Kofi straightened up and stood eye to eye with Punk. "Is there something you'd like to tell me?" Punk asked, narrowing his eyes. Kofi smirked; something so uncharacteristic for him that is threw Punk off for a moment.

"No, I'm good. I mean, I'm as good as I can be watching my best friend mistreat his girlfriend." The words were meant to sting and they kind of did but it was a false accusation! Punk scowled back at his so called best friend and bit down on his tongue. He'd said enough shit to get him in trouble these past few days.

"I don't know what you think you're getting at Kofi, but whatever it is needs to either be said to my face or disappear. If you've got a problem with me than say it right now," Punk growled, crossing his arms over his sweatshirt. A few curious passers by were staring at them, no doubt with recognition. Hopefully they thought it was for a feud. Kayfabe _is _what it's all about in the company these days. Kofi turned away after their stare down and backed away.

"I don't have any problem. You're the one with the problem, man," he laughed over his shoulder. Punk just shook his head, rubbing his hand over his beard. Oh, the drama. Hopefully the week without his girlfriend would go fast. Pulling his hood up over his Cubs ball cap, Punk walked over to the window and watched Oktober's plane take off.

**[She was built with a brain**

**And some swagger.**

**A little scream, little cry,**

**Little laughter.**

**She's a ten,**

**I'm a joke in my own mind.**

**But she still loves to dance**

**With my punch lines.]**

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><p>The plane ride was <em>so <em>much better with Punk's Ipod. First of all, Oktober was nowhere _near_ Evan's seat. The attendants had switched them up last second and put Evan somewhere in the back near two little kids. Poor guy. Although, she was stuck next to a rather large woman who smelled like Paprika and was attached to her phone the entire time. _How does she have time to breath? She talks so fast…_ Either way, the Ipod helped and secretly, she was thrilled he'd let her see into his mind like that. The way to a person's soul is in their music.

It was mostly stuff she'd expected: The Ramones, NOFX, Minor Threat, and the Dead Kennedys. There were some oddballs like AWOLnation and…Fozzy. She certainly didn't expect him to have _Jericho's_ band on here. The band isn't bad but well, enemies don't usually keep tabs on each other's outside work. Not surprising, however, was the amount of purely instrumental work on there as well as lots of music with a definitive beat. _Probably for working out. _

Florida was beautiful…and hot. No matter what time of year it was, it always seemed to be hot here. At least, that's what Evan told her. "Alright, we'll be at the house in like twenty minutes. You'll love it! I'm right on the water and there's a private beach!" Evan grinned enthusiastically and it was hard not to join in. The air was humid when they arrived on the front step of the house. Evan had just finished paying the taxi driver when he saw Tober just staring at the house in wonderment. It was huge and a pristine white. "Wait til you see inside," Evan whispered with amusement. He led her in and instructed her to leave her bags by the stairs.

The grand tour was astonishing. Just walking in the door there was a central staircase that led up one floor and on to the top one. To one side was a parlor that she found led to kitchen number one and then to the storage room. On the other side of the staircase at ground level was a sunroom that went all the way to the back of the house. The decorations were wild and it was all a little overwhelming for a girl who was used to small houses and hotel rooms. Eventually, she just asked to see her room so she could take a nap. It was already dark since their flight had been at night and had crossed time zones.

Evan opened a door on the second level and smiled at Tober's astounded gasp. The room was stunning! It was a pale blue and furnished modestly to look like half a library and half bedroom. Dark wood, white accents and a bay window with a window seat and ocean view included adorned the room. Oh, she'd love it here. "Thank you so much for letting me stay here Evan. I really appreciate it!" she said once again. She'd been thanking him since they got on the plane and he simply waved it off.

"I told you, it's not a problem. Why don't you go to bed, you seem really tired and I'm turning in myself." Nodding, he gave her a brief hug and walked away down the hall where, as he'd informed her earlier, his room was in case she needed him. Closing her door, Tober leaned against it and breathed in the smell of the ocean. This was what she needed. It was already eleven at night but she was a little too hopped up to sleep. Wouldn't anybody be after seeing such an amazing house? It even has a pool; _inside_. Yanking clothes out of her suitcase, she took a brief shower in the (enormous) bathroom and changed into sweatpants. Sure they're 'give up on life' pants but they're comfy as hell, everyone is entitled to comfort.

She had a TV in her room too, right in front of her bed and she flicked through channels until she settled on some American Dad reruns. Even with all this nice air, exquisite rooms, and relaxation, she couldn't help but miss Punk and her friends. It was too late to call but it seemed perfectly acceptable to send a text to her boyfriend saying she'd arrived. After she had that done, she settled in to her show until she passed out somewhere around two.

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><p><strong>AN Sigh.**

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><p><strong>Disclaimer.<strong>

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><p><strong>Please review.<strong>

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><p><strong>Thanks.<strong>

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><p><strong>Sigh.<strong>


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